When Darkness Meets Light
by brown-irises
Summary: He pulled me to his body and slipped my hair back from my neck. He kissed the line of my jaw repeatedly, throwing his jacket onto the floor. His breathing was heavy and I saw another glimpse of his eyes. This time I knew exactly what they held. Pure lust.
1. Watching

**Chapter 1- Watching**

_Cole_

I could see her from the window of my bedroom. Her dark hair cropped short beneath her chin and her hazel eyes shone brightly even on this cloudy day. She was tiny, so small and fragile looking, I almost wanted to stick her inside my coat pocket and protect her from things that were stronger than her. Though of course she was perhaps plenty strong herself, being of the vampire race such as me. She was a bit younger than me; seventeen, an entire ten years my junior, but that didn't matter. I had to have her.

She always walked along the dark forest on the edge of my property. She never knew I watched her, and even once I possessed her she would never know. She was sweet and painfully shy, and I wouldn't want to embarrass my little princess, who was trying to be so discrete. Though I was always curious as to why she chose this route on her way home, it was by far the longest way from the little shop where she worked. Not to mention many people in town were frightened of me because I always remained stoic and private, though I preferred being evaded by them.

Usually though, when I would see her by my home I figured she was avoiding having to go home to her cold, sometimes cruel uncle. One way or another he would pay for the hurt he put her through.

Her uncle was jealous of her parents who died in a tragic fire years ago. He had been brothers with her father and forever was in love with her mother, even after she chose to be with the elder, warmer sibling. When they died he took in his young niece, and treated her less than well, being angry that she was the product of his brother's betrayal, and the woman he could never have. Despite my hatred for him I would have to play it carefully, in order to marry her I would need to get his permission, or the Elders would never approve of us together. _All in good time. _I told myself.

She captured my attention again. She sat by the small creek, her hands twisted in the grass and her feet pressed into the cool water, the edge of her long, pale green dress becoming damp in the process. _I want her now. _I sighed in exasperation. _Patience, patience, she will be all yours soon._ Her head tilted back, exposing her sweet neck, she breathed in the cool air, her breasts rising to the sky. I held the frame of the window to hold myself back from snatching her up and locking her in a room with me forever.

She got up to leave, picking up her small bag and slinging it over your shoulder. _No, don't go, you just got here._ She could not hear my thoughts however, and headed back into the forest to her home. _Her home for now, think my love, as soon as you become my bride my home will be your home, wouldn't that be lovely? _

I headed to my study to plot out how this would all pan out. I had waited patiently for this moment for three years, ever since she came to live with her uncle. She was so sad then, clinging on to a small black kitten that was her only comfort of her old life. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her things would be alright, but she was so timid that the second she had seen me see her she hid herself away.

Slowly she became more receptive to the town, but even to this day she remained a loner, much like me.

I decided to wait no longer. In the vampire world she was of age and I was going to speak to her uncle first thing tomorrow about marrying his niece.

My beloved. My Selene. You belong to me.


	2. Hoping

**Chapter 2-Hoping**

_Selene_

_**Earlier that day…**_

I sat at my usual stool, tapping my fingers against the counter and just waiting for the day to be over so I could lock up the shop. I had worked in this boutique; _The Teahouse,_ since I moved here to White Waters three years ago. I usually worked in the back, painting flowers and scenery on the teacups and teapots that this place was known for, but I was ready for a new challenge.

I had money, my parents had saved a huge amount for me to care of myself when I grew older, but I had other plans for it, I wanted to buy The Teahouse. Then I could finally leave my Uncle Matthew, who was counting down the days I would just take my money and leave him alone.

I saw my boss Ira prepare to leave. "Goodbye Selene." She said sounding tired.

"Goodbye Ira" I said softly, looking down at the counter.

"Is something wrong?" She asked me.

I stared down at the counter even more, feeling awkward about what I wanted to ask.

"Selene, you and I have known each other since you were thirteen, and I knew your parents their entire lives when they grew up here, whatever it is just tell me." She said, slinging on her coat.

"Well." I began. "You said the other day you were thinking about selling this place, you know after you moved to the city."

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Well I was wondering what your price was, for selling I mean." I said, forcing the words out.

"Why do you ask?" Her head tilted to the side.

"I was interested in possibly buying it." I admitted. "I love this place and I would promise to take care of it."

"Oh Selene." She said. She came over to me and took me by the hand. "Why would a girl as bright as you want to work here rather than try and earn a degree like your parents had? Then you could work anywhere you want."

"But I want to work here. I'm happy here and I think this is the best place for me."

"It wouldn't be cheap Selene. This boutique brings in a lot of money, and with our new delivery system people worldwide buy things from here." She said. "I would need to make a good profit off this place to whomever I sold it to."

"But if I could get the money, would you sell it to me?" I asked, finally looking up at her.

"I want to sell this place by Spring, that's only a month away and you will be in school, unable to give this place the attention it needs."

"I can hire people temporarily until I can be here full time." I said. "This is my last semester of school."

"Look," she began. "I will make you a deal. I know you will take care of this place for me so if you can give me a fair offer by the day after tomorrow I will consider selling it to you. If within the next month no one else can give me a good offer, as well as show that they will keep the quality of this place up, then I promise it is yours."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes." She said. "But I want you to think. I know you want to use your parents' money that they left to you, but I want you to remember that they saved that money for a good future for you, so you better be sure that this place is what you want to invest in."

"It is." I nodded feeling a new sense of hope.

"Just the same, I want you to really think about it and plan it out well. Once you buy this place I will no longer be here to help you with anything, you will have to figure things out on your own." She warned.

"I'm sure I could manage." I said. She nodded and headed back to the front door locking it. I smiled, grabbing my bag; I switched off the light and headed toward the back entrance, locking it up behind me.

I walked through the woods along the small creek that rushed along it. I loved taking this way home for two reasons. One, it was far more private than taking the direct route home through town, not to mention that when I got home I could sneak in through the back, avoiding a conversation with my uncle; and two, it ran right along the Wilshire home.

The Wilshire was the most beautiful home I had ever seen, it was a white Queen Anne mansion that, despite its size looked very warm and inviting to me. I know most people warned me about steering clear from that home, for Cole Wilshire resided there. He had inherited the home from his great grandparents when he was eighteen and since then had lived there alone; he never married, never had so much as single guest over, and hardly ever left.

Cole was said to be frightening, and some even went as far as to say cruel. Girls at school raved on about how handsome, wealthy and mysterious he was, with the potential to be very powerful, but anytime he crossed their paths in town they became intimidated by him. I kept clear from him for the most part, but I couldn't help but admire his home.

I was close to the house now, peeking out through the trees trying to make sure Cole wasn't out in his back lot. I sat by the creek, taking off my shoes and dipping my feet into the water. Through the corner of my eye I could see Cole staring at me from his window. It was a routine that we seemed to have developed, I sat here by the creek pretending no to pay attention him watching me, and he stared at me from the window, trying to go unnoticed.

I leaned my head back and took in a deep breath. Spring would begin soon and I just knew that Ira would let me have her shop. Then maybe I could get an apartment away from Uncle Matthew and maybe for once in my life since my parents death, I could be happy.

Stalling no longer, I grabbed my things and continued home, slowly peeking over my shoulder to see if he was still there. He wasn't.

_Maybe you're not so dangerous after all. You sure don't mind me trespassing every day._

When I got home I snuck in through the side door, hoping to get upstairs and wash up for dinner before my uncle noticed that I was late. Again.

"Selene." I heard him call. He was at the top of the stairs waiting for me, his arms crossed.

"Hello Uncle Matthew." I said sullenly.

"I have personally walked from the boutique to this home and have only taken five minutes, yet you seem to take a half an hour. Tell me, why is that Selene?" He asked.

"I like to walk in the woods." I confessed.

"Well, if between your homework, your job and keeping your room clean you have time to walk in the woods for half an hour every day, then perhaps we should find something else for you to do." He said.

_Why was he so mean to me? _"No that won't be necessary." I whispered.

"Good." He said. "I don't have the time to deal with you anyway. From now on you finish work, and come straight home to do your studying. If I find that this isn't enough of a challenge for you then I will just ship you off to boarding school, I'm sure you'll be busy enough there.

_Why not just do that already and put me out of my misery. _I thought.

"I promise it won't happen again."

"It better not." He said uncrossing his arms. "Now, hurry up and get ready for dinner." He brushed past me downstairs, not so much as glancing at me on the way down.

I rushed toward my room closing the door gently. My cat Onyx was sitting on my bed, tail swishing in the air. I was thankful that he was so well behaved; knowing that if he so much as scratched a pillow cushion my uncle would throw him out onto the street. He purred as I scratched the top of his head.

"Oh Onyx, I wish a miracle would happen." I whispered to him. He meowed in response.

By the time I was ready for dinner I saw Uncle sitting at his usual spot at the end of the long dining table, acting as though he was sitting there for hours when I knew it was just minutes.

He nodded toward the maid to bring out the plates. "It's about time." He grunted. I chose not to respond, sometimes that was best.

We ate salads and roast beef in silence for a while.

"How was your day uncle?" I asked, hoping to try and get somewhere with him.

"What?" He asked, looking up from his plate.

"How was your day?" I asked, again sounding casual.

"My day was terrible." He said I felt a glimmer of hope. "It's bad enough that I have to work at that bank, dealing with the incompetent human staff, but then I had to come home and discipline my grown niece as though she is a five year old." Hope gone.

"Oh." I said.

"Oh." He mocked. "Yes Selene, I find it infuriating that I have to treat you like a baby, though I suppose it's not your fault, your own father never knew how to grow up and take responsibility. I doubt he was able to raise you to do so. As far as your mother, she was so bewitched by him that she would do anything he said, so trying to raise you to be decent just went out the window."

I hated when he talked about my parents like that. I never understood how he even could. My father was his brother, how could he hate him so much? And even though he never really said anything bad about my mother he always talked about her like she was manipulated by my father, but it wasn't like that at all.

I tried to conjure up a good memory about my uncle, something from when my parents were still alive, but I had nothing. He never visited us, never sent a birthday card, and I never even spoke to him on the phone. The only thing I knew about him was old childhood stories from my parents and there were a couple of photos of him with my parents when they were really young. When I came here I hoped to rekindle something but from the first day here I was treated like I was a huge burden that disrupted his wonderful life. No matter how much I tried to stay quiet, or do nice things to help him, I was always doing something wrong.

I looked at my near empty plate. "May I be excused?"

"Go." He grunted.

I got up quickly, making sure to tuck in my chair and bring my dishes to the kitchen. After which I headed back to my room and just went to bed. Onyx curled up next to me and I ran my fingers down his back.

_Please let me have a miracle._


	3. Face to Face

**Chapter 3- Face to Face**

_Cole_

It was dawn. I had waited long enough. The night was mostly very restless for me; I had tossed and turned in bed all night anxious for morning.

Quickly, I shot up out of bed and got dressed, hurrying toward the door straight for Matthew Hayward's home. I was hoping to reach him before he left for work; I was also hoping to catch a little glimpse at my Selene.

I did not even bother trying to take my car; I was faster on foot anyway. My long black coat was being whipped by the cold air as I sped to the home, making sure to stop far enough away where I could appear as though I was casually walking by.

Matthew was just heading to his car, his brief case in hand.

"Hello Matthew." I greeted my hands behind my back as I strode up the walk.

"Cole." He nodded. "I'm surprised to see you out."

"I usually make it a point to mingle with a few people every now and then." I said simply. "How is bank ownership treating you?" I asked casually.

He actually managed to smile. "Not terribly." He said. "It could be better, if I had a proficient staff and didn't have to deal with nuisances." His gaze shot to the second story of his home as he said nuisances, clearly implying that he was discussing Selene. I pretended not to be fazed by his cruelty to her, while in reality I wanted to rip his throat out.

"Yes." I said, looking up as well. "How is dear Selene, finishing school I imagine?"

"Yes, and hopefully putting her parents fortune to good use to finally care for herself." He grunted.

"She's still young yet." I noted softly.

"She's wasting her time daydreaming and frolicking about when she could be doing something useful." He countered.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance." I said, staring him straight in the eye.

"You have my attention." His eyebrows rose in true interest.

"I could take her off your hands." I said simply

"How so?" His brows furrowed together.

"You could give us permission to marry." I did not break my gaze. I kept telling myself to remain cool and calm.

"Marry? You want to marry Selene?" He asked, clearly taken by surprise.

I knew it would take more than a request for her hand to convince him, so I decided to blatantly lie about my intentions. "This arrangement would be beneficial to both of us." I began. "You want her to reach her full potential and learn to take care of herself, but you feel she is too lax. If you give her to me, then she would be mine to tend to and you can focus on your work."

"How would the two of you being married benefit _you_?" He questioned.

"Simple. She will help me as I become an Elder."

"An Elder?" He laughed. "Cole you're awfully young to be an Elder-why your great grandfather-"

"Is stepping down." I interrupted.

"I thought that was just a rumor?" He stepped forward a little and lowering his voice.

"You're wrong." I continued. "When both my grandfather and father rejected being heirs to his position as an Elder, he came to me. He told me he wanted me to be his legacy, and that in exchange he would give me his home as well as groom me for the position. I hastily agreed. Since then he has said that when I marry he will give me his chair. That's where Selene comes in, she's perfect. My marrying her allow my great grandfather to make good on his promise. Not to mention, she will also ensure that no one will object to my being an Elder either; I am well aware of my reputation for being heartless, and someone as docile as her would prove to people that I am not so cruel after all."

"That's only if you could keep her happy." He pointed out. "She's bound to confirm their doubts about you if you are not good to her."

"I'm sure I could be plenty charming." I said, flashing a smile.

"I know what people say about me." He added, I half thought he was speaking to himself. "I know they think I am too hard on her, and that I am letting personal grievances between her parents and myself affect how I treat her. Some may say that my agreeing to this arrangement is just to get rid of some brat that I don't love."

"Are they wrong?" I asked him. He remained silent. _Bastard._

"It's something I will have to think about. This is the first I've heard of your interest in her and I am a bit astonished." He admitted.

"Understandable. I only ask that you keep this between us, just until you decide." I requested.

"Of course." He said stepping into his car. He stopped briefly. "Why don't you join us for dinner tonight at six thirty? That way we could speak further."

"It would be my pleasure." I said. He nodded again; proceeding shut the car door and drive off. "My pleasure indeed." I whispered watching his car disappear. I heard soft footsteps behind me, followed by a tiny gasp.

I smirked to myself and then turned. There she stood, in a pair of form fitting jeans and a dark red top that accented her skin tone perfectly. Her hands nervously played with the hem of her blouse, and she looked at me waiting for me to speak.

"Good morning." I said, bowing my head.

"Hello." She whispered, staring at me with her wide hazel eyes.

"How are we this morning?" I asked.

"I'm alright, thank you." She said, barely raising her voice. "And yourself?" She asked breathlessly.

"Fantastic…now." I said her eyes looked at a spot far to her left, avoiding my gaze. "You're out early; I didn't think school began for another few hours." I said, already knowing the answer as to why she was up this early.

"It doesn't." She confirmed. "I was heading to the library."

"Oh you were, were you?" I stepped forward and brushed her hair behind her ear. My fingers trailed down her soft neck. She shuddered and I quickly put my hand behind my back again, clearing my throat. "I didn't think the library was opened this early either."

"It's not. I-um, sneak in." She said, blush rising to her cheeks. _My how endearing._

"Well you're just the little rebel aren't you?" I teased. She smiled a little and looked down at her shoes.

"Promise to keep my secret?" She asked, her eyelashes inadvertently fluttering.

"I'm sure I can arrange that." I said. "Have a good day." I finished, stepping out of her way. She rushed passed me, casting a glance over her shoulder. When she saw that I was looking, she quickly looked away and hurried off.

I followed silently behind her as she headed through town. By the time she got to the library, I concealed myself behind a few trees to watch her. She elegantly leaped from the ground to a high window that hadn't been locked, slipping in she closed the window tight behind her. _Ah the beauty and grace of a young female vampire. _I thought as I went to the window to peer inside.

Her hands trailed the spines of the books stacked tightly together on the shelves. She pulled out a thick novel and sat right there on the ground and began to read. I watched her for a long moment then decided to leave her be, climbing down I headed for my home.

I always found the Wilshire home to be very magnificent. I had been thrilled when my great grandfather offered it to me; I always appreciated how well he kept up the rooms. Aside from the kitchen and common living room, there was also two drawing rooms, half a dozen bathrooms, ten bedrooms, a study where I spent most of my time, and a library. As of late I had been diligently keeping the library stocked with loads of different books, all for Selene. She did not seem to prefer one genre over the other, which made finding books a little more difficult, but I made sure nonetheless that it would meet her standards. I hoped that she would like it. I had also been converting one of the bedrooms that overlooked the creek into a painting room where she could paint on the china for the Teahouse, since she loved it so much.

Heading toward the kitchen, a glimpse of a shadow out back caught my eye. I peered through carefully and was surprised by the figure staring back at me.

It was Selene.

_Selene_

I had been very stunned when I had seen him in the driveway earlier.

Up until then he was almost like a ghost that drifted through town, only coming for what he needed and then retreating to his manor.

I thought about how out of place he looked. Tall, with shaggy black hair that he rarely smoothed out, chin and face heavy with stubble, and blazing green eyes that matched the grass of a well kept lawn. He was dressed in head to toe in black, his white smile contrasting perfectly. It was like someone placed a rebel angel in the center of a quiet town, he brewed trouble with his smoky gaze and sinister smile. Yet I couldn't help but be drawn to him in spite of that.

He had spoken to me so naturally. As if we were old friends chatting like we did every morning, which I found odd since he made it a point not to ever associate with anyone. When he jerked his hand away from placing my hair behind my ear and tracing my skin I was disappointed, wishing it was still against my neck.

And now here I stood.

I was staring him straight in the eye just yards away from being _inside _his home.

He looked at me in an astonishment that would equal the one I had for him earlier, and then smiled. Opening the back door he swung hand behind his back and used the other to beckon me forward with his index finger.

I obliged my heart beating through my throat as I took one step after the other, closer and closer to the threshold.

I was only a few feet in front of him now. He stepped aside and motioned for me to enter. I stood there and looked inside his house as though it were possibly leading to a prison that I would never be able to escape, it felt as though once I put a toe inside he would lock me up and never let me free, I would become a subject in his kingdom that he could do whatever he wanted with.

He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows in question as if to ask; _Are you coming in or not?_

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. _What are you doing here? _I thought to myself. _You were perfectly fine in the library; tranquil, familiar and safe. Now here you are flirting with darkness. But is he as dark as they say? _I opened my eyes in surprise to see that he was standing close in front of me, if an on looker had seen us they might have thought we were lovers about to share an embrace he was so close.

He tilted his head in curiosity.

And then I ran.


	4. Changes

**Chapter 4: Changes**

_Selene_

By the time I had stopped running I was back at my house sitting on my bed. _Why did I do that? Why did I even go there?_ I plopped down on the pillows and curled up into a ball, falling fast asleep.

It was then that I had a dream that frightened me more than anything else in the world.

_I was in a field, the grass rose up to my waist and the smell of wildflowers surrounded me. I felt more at peace here than I did anywhere else. A sound from behind startled me; it was the sound of someone clearing their throat._

_I turned to see Cole standing there. He reached a hand out elegantly and I took it. The second my skin touched his, my beautiful field turned into a sandy desert that was cold and grey. He smiled and pulled me to him leading me in a dance. I rested my head on his shoulder closing my eyes I listened to the silence around us. He leaned his head down to whisper in my ear._

_"You're mine." He said. "One way or another, I will have you." He kissed my ear as I gasped in surprise of what he had told me._

I woke up startled sitting upright, Onyx who had been sitting on me screeched in protest as he jumped onto the floor.

"Sorry." I said to him.

I looked at the clock realizing that I was going to be late for school if I didn't move soon. I ran out as fast as I could, ignoring the looks people gave me as I frantically shot through town. When I finally reached school, I rushed to the bathroom to try to give myself a moment to relax. I leaned over one of the sinks and splashed water in my face. _It was just a dream. You were frightened by him earlier today, that's why he was even on your mind. _I told myself, but alas I could not truly be convinced. _What was he even doing at my house this morning? He has never spoken to anyone before, especially me. What does he want? _I tried to shake off the thoughts as I stepped out and went to my first class.

I sat in my usual seat in the back by the door where I could hide easily behind others. It wasn't like I hated class because I wasn't good at school, I actually earned near perfect grades, but I hated having any attention on myself.

Valerie Vogel walked in just then, her posse of clones hot on her heels. Valerie was considered the most popular girl in school, if those titles actually exist beyond the world of television and books. She had shoulder length cinnamon colored hair and wore blue contacts, even though as a vampire herself she didn't need them for vision or anything. Her black skirt was so short I don't know what she would do if she ever dropped anything and her pink top tightly hugged her breasts. Her clones, who I might mention were human girls that Valerie only hung around with because she could control them, wore the same outfit that Valerie did, and they had their hair cut and colored to match hers too.

"Can you believe Cole was actually out of his house today?" One of her clones said, I think her name was Annabelle.

"I know." Valerie sighed, trying to sound like she didn't care. "I wonder what business he had that was oh so important?"

"I saw him actually talking to someone." Clone number two said, I believe that was Reni, I couldn't be too sure, I avoided the trio as much as I could and never could keep track of which human was which.

"Who?" Valerie asked sounding bored, she smoothly sat in her chair up at the front.

"I don't know, Ira or something like that, that woman who owns The Teahouse in town." Reni said, trying to make her tone sound as unattached as Valerie's. They captured my attention even more when they mentioned Ira. I was starting to get really suspicious now. _First my house and then my work. He probably spoke to Uncle Matthew this morning, I didn't leave that much later than him, and now he is talking to my boss._

I pretended to look for something in my bag as I listened further.

"Really?" Valerie said, finally showing interest. "What were they chatting about?"

"I don't know, he stopped talking when I walked by." Reni said. "But when I did walk by, he like, looked right at me and winked!" She squealed.

"It sounds like big, bad Cole has a crush on you." Annabelle said to Reni smiling.

"He probably thought you were me." Valerie shot down, Reni's face fell. "I mean he did see me earlier, and since we are wearing the same outfit he probably got confused. Anyway it looked like he was wanting to talk to me, but I just brushed him off coyly. You know when a man starts showing interest you have to play hard to get, otherwise they get bored. Well, I guess you two don't know since you both have never had a boyfriend."

"Speaking of which," Reni began, her jaw slightly tight. "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"I guess Michael's alright." Valerie said. "But he's just eighteen, Cole's twenty-seven; which makes him mature, not to mention he's incredibly mysterious. I'd dump Michael for Cole any day." Reni and Annabelle shrugged their shoulders. I never knew why they put up with her. I guess because Valerie's parents were wealthy, and the fact that she was head of the school's dance team and class president. She simply demanded attention and her two cohorts wanted to be noticed too.

The final bell rang and our teacher Mr. Price walked in, a boy I had never seen before followed close behind. He looked like someone who came fresh from some big city by a beach. He was tall and tan, though not overly buff, and his blonde hair swished in his baby blue eyes. Despite the cold weather he had decided to adorn a t-shirt and board shorts along with flip flops.

"Class." Mr. Price said clapping his hands together. "This is our new student from Orlando, his name is Tanner." Tanner gave a brief wave to everyone while flashing a white smile.

"Hellooo Tanner." I heard Valerie said to Annabelle, apparently she had forgotten about Cole already.

"I'm sure that you will all make Tanner feel right at home." Mr. Price said. "Tanner why don't you take the empty seat in the back next to Selene." He pointed to where I was.

"Sure." Tanner said, walking over and dumping his bag on the floor. Mr. Price began to take roll as Tanner twisted in his seat to face me. "Hey." He said. I nodded in response. Mr. Price began class quickly so Tanner could not say anything much more to me, though it looked like he wanted too.

When the bell rang for class to let out I got out of my chair as fast as I could and headed out into the hall.

"Hey wait!" I heard someone call. It was the new boy, Tanner; he ran up to me and grabbed my arm gently. "Selene right?" I nodded and tugged my arm away. "So Selene what's there to do around here? I'm not used to the small town life." I shrugged my shoulders hoping he would get the hint that I was uncomfortable. "Not a talker are ya? That's okay, my mom says I talk enough for five people so I guess you and I have a good balance." He added, nudging me with his elbow, I looked down at my shoes and started to walk away again. "Well, why don't you at least tell me the four one one on this school?" He said trying to lean in to get me to look at him as we walked further into the crowd of people.

"Hey Tanner." Valerie purred, coming up behind us. "No use trying to talk to her, she doesn't speak." She crinkled her nose at me.

"Aww, I'm sure she's just shy." Tanner said to her as he looped an arm over my neck. "So kid, what's a guy like me gonna have to do to get a pretty girl like you to give him a break?"

"Like I said." Valerie spoke after a long silence from me. "She doesn't speak, so you might as not waste your breath. Come on Tanner, why don't I show you to your next class."

"Alright." He looked at me again. "I'm not giving up yet." He said to me before lightly pinching my cheek. I rubbed at the spot he had touched.

* * *

Luckily I made it through the whole day without thinking about my dream with Cole or having to be bothered by Tanner's line of questioning since he wasn't in any of my classes and I had hid in the library during lunch.

I was feeling better once school let out and I could be at work. Today I was working in the back, painting flowers and gold rims around cream colored teacups. As I was sitting at a small table in a high chair I swayed lightly to the soft music on Ira's ancient radio. I had been so distracted that I hadn't noticed someone come up behind me. An arm appeared on either side of me as someone leaned against the table, I could feel their breath on my neck.

"I never knew you were such a good dancer." A voice said. I jumped up and saw Cole Wilshire behind me, his head tilted with an amused smirk on his face. _What did he mean by good dancer? Was he talking about just now, or was he talking about the dream where he and I danced together to silence. No, no it couldn't have been the dream, there's no way he would know about that. _"You're not much for words are you little one?" He said, leaning in even closer.

I set the teacup I had in my hand down and jumped off the chair, breaking through his arms. "You're not supposed to be back here." I said trying to keep space between us.

"Ira said it was alright." He said smoothly, stepping close. "I just came to take a look around and pick something up." His eyes never left mine.

"I-I didn't think we had any orders for anyone in town." I said to him.

"Well actually I just purchased the items today, this morning in fact, but I was unable to retrieve them until now." He stepped even closer; I backed away until I found that shelves behind me prevented me from going any farther. His smirk grew as he blocked me from escaping. "Maybe you could help me find them."

"What was it you ordered?" I asked, my throat suddenly feeling hoarse.

"They should be in two purple velvet boxes." He said. "They're gifts." I glance around and saw two small jewelry boxes on a shelf by the door.

"Excuse me." I said trying to push passed him.

"My apologies." He said, letting me through. I grabbed the box and handed it to him. His fingers purposely brushed mine as he took the boxes from my hand. "Thank you Selene." I nodded and went back to my table to finish painting. He stepped in front of me, placing his hands lightly on my waist. "You were at my home this morning."

My heart beat fast, and I tucked my hair behind my ears. Had I been braver I would have pointed out that he was at my home first, but I knew even then my argument wasn't good. My house was surrounded by other homes that touched right into the center of town, it was perfectly logical for him to be passing through. However, his home was out in seclusion, you had to make it a point to be at his home.

"I rather liked the company; it's so rare I get a visitor. Especially one this lovely." A small bell from the front desk rang causing me to jump.

"Selene!" Ira shouted. "Selene, could you get that, I'm busy with something." I pulled myself away from Cole and quickly went out into the store. Much to my dismay I saw Tanner leaning over the counter.

"Hey bashful." He teased. "I heard you worked here. This place has some cool stuff." He picked up a glass dragon that was out in the front which I had painted several shades of orange, yellow and red. "Did you make this one? Some guy at school said that you made some stuff here."

Just then Cole emerged from the back room; he did not look pleased as he saw Tanner speaking to me.

"Hello." Cole said to Tanner politely. "You must be a member of that new family that moved in recently."

"Yeah. Fresh from Orlando." He said, his stance showing that he was slightly threatened by Cole despite his relaxed voice. "But it looks like I'm going to like it here better." He added looking at me. "Hey man, maybe you can get her to say something." He joked trying to lighten the mood.

"She speaks to me all the time." Cole said. It was a stretch, but I suppose if you compared the few things I ever said to Cole, to the complete silence I gave Tanner it was a lot.

"Well then I know you can help me." Tanner said, ignoring Cole's attempts to scare him off.

"I think we should let her get back to work don't you?" Cole said. "Unless you wanted to purchase something, otherwise she is very busy."

"Well," Tanner began picking up the dragon. "Did you say whether or not you made this?" He asked me.

"Um, I painted it." I muttered.

"Ah, she speaks!" He said. "Well I'll take this then, and then maybe tomorrow you and I can actually talk." I rang up his purchase without response, Cole stayed behind me the entire time, and wrapped up the glass dragon carefully as Tanner paid me the money. "See ya tomorrow Selene." He looked to Cole. "See you around…"

"Cole." Cole said.

"See ya around Cole." Tanner gave one final wave and left. I turned to go to the back room, but Cole stopped me as he took my hand. He held it to his lips and kissed it.

"It was a pleasure to see you Selene." He said, putting a small piece of paper in my hand. He walked away casting a wink over his shoulder. I pulled open the paper once he left and read it.

_**And I look forward to seeing you again.**_

I shoved the note in my pocket and went back to trying to paint the cup, but I found that my hands were shaking too much. I very much missed how things were just a day ago, me living my life privately and peacefully, with Tanner far in Miami and Cole letting me sit by the creek on his property undisturbed. Now everything was different and I knew it was far from over.

I got up to go get some air, knowing I would not pay attention to my work otherwise, but as I did my phone rang. I took it out of my bag, reading my uncle's name on the caller id.

"Hello."

"Selene," he said sounding tired. "I need you to get off work early, have Ira call me if she has any disputes."

"Is everything alright?" I asked. Usually he preferred for me to work overtime if anything.

"Yes. We are having company for dinner and I need you to go home and make sure the maids are cleaning up the house as I asked. I also want you to wear something other than your school clothes."

"Who is coming over?" I asked very curious now. We never have guests, and even when we do Uncle Matthew always has me eat my dinner upstairs and out of the way.

"Quit asking questions and do as I say. You'll find out soon enough." He said. "Talk to Ira now, I want you to go home this instant."

"Yes Uncle Matthew." I said as he hung up the phone. "Ira." I called.

"Yes honey?" She said, wiping her hands on an apron she had on and going to the register to count the money.

"My uncle called and needs me home right away. He said you can call him if you want to ask him anything." I said.

"No, go on ahead; I know how he can be." She muttered.

"Hey Ira." I said.

"What is it?" She asked patiently.

"I was looking into my funds during lunch today and I think I am prepared to give you an offer." I said. She froze and looked down guiltily.

"I wanted to mention that to you." She said. "Today I was given an offer on this place. A very generous one. I accepted it." I felt hurt, she _promised _me.

"Oh." I said.

"Oh please don't look at me like that." She said putting her hand on my shoulder. "Look I know I made you a promise and I hate that I had to break it. But the offer I was given was in the millions; and I felt that I just couldn't say no."

"I understand." I said, playing with my hands. "Look I should go. My uncle will go ballistic if I don't get home now and if I know him he is already there testing to see if I am doing as he says."

"I'm sorry Selene. But I am sure that you will still be able to work here and everything." She said desperately. "Look that money your parents saved for you should go to your college education and a place to stay that is away from your uncle."

I smiled trying to assure her. I hitched my bag over my shoulder and walked out without saying goodbye to Ira, and trying not to cry on my way home. _Why, why can't I catch a break?_ I hadn't noticed how quickly I had gotten home. I just remember peeling off my clothes and stepping into the shower.


	5. Truth

**Chapter 5-Truth**

_Selene_

I wished more than anything that we did not have guests for dinner; or at the very least for Uncle Matthew to have made me stay up in my room as usual when we had company. All I wanted was to sleep off this horrible day; I wanted to get Cole out of my head, to get the idea that my dream of owning The Teahouse was shattered, and I wanted to know that I could go to school tomorrow and remain unnoticed as I preferred, rather than have that boy Tanner following me everywhere.

Knowing that I could not be able to get out of dinner tonight I opted to go on ahead and get ready. I brushed out my hair until it was in a smooth bob and I wore a red dress that went to my knees with thick straps and had a V shaped neckline that was a little low for my taste, but it was one of the only formal dresses I had for this type of occasion that still fit me. I had yet to replace a lot of my formal wardrobe since I came here; mother usually helped me with that.

I heard the doorbell ring.

"Selene!" Uncle Matthew called. I sighed and headed downstairs, giving Onyx a quick pat on the head.

"Coming!" I called back. When I made it to the bottom I saw that Uncle Matthew was waiting for me. He grabbed my arms and had me face him.

His eyes narrowed as he spoke to me. "Selene, I want you to be on your best behavior, that means you stop acting like some silly, timid child and start acting like a well spoken woman who is a member of the most powerful race in the world. Being born a vampire is an honor to anyone; you best start taking advantage of who you are."

I hated the 'you are a vampire' speech. I received it often from him. Uncle Matthew believed that because I remained introverted that I was insulting the vampire name. Just because I chose not to be arrogant like him or like girls such as Valerie, did not mean I wasn't proud of who I was, I just didn't believe that I was better than humans. I actually envied humans, if only they knew how much of a hassle having to feed off of all the time was, and if only they knew how lucky they were not to constantly worry about family honor.

He nodded toward the maid who answered the door. I smoothed my dress and stood up straight as Uncle let go of my arms.

"Welcome Mr. Wilshire." The maid said bowing her head lightly. _No, this is a joke it can't be…Cole._

Cole Wilshire stepped in dressed in all black as per usual. The maid tried to take his coat but he waved her off gently. He extended a hand to my uncle. "Thank you for having me."

"Of course." Uncle said plastering on an awkward smile. Cole let go of his hand and then took mine, kissing it lightly as he had done earlier that day. I slipped my hand away discretely and gave him a small smile. I was starting to think my recent run ins with him were far from coincidental.

"Selene. It's a pleasure to see you again." His eyes shone and he smiled as though he had something wicked on his mind.

"Again?" My uncle questioned. His eyebrows rising high, clearly he was less than amused.

"Yes we ran into each other at her work." Cole explained standing up straight; his eyes never left me for a moment.

"Did you have any trouble with her?" He asked, casting me a cold side glance. _Right, it's not like I'm some incompetent fool. _

"She was perfect." Cole's eyes bore almost angrily. Uncle Matthew reared back for a second looking very surprised. Then his expression went flat and then formal again, clearly trying to recover from Cole's sharpness. I glanced toward Cole who was slightly bemused about the entire situation.

"Why don't we head into the dining room and begin?" Uncle led the way as I trailed behind him, Cole came up beside me and offered his arm. I felt myself pull away from him instinctually; something about him put so much fear in me.

"May I?" He asked. I reluctantly took his arm and together we walked through the corridors. We went into the dining room and Cole gently pulled out a chair for me. I sat trying to not let him touch me whatsoever when he pulled the chair to the table. Uncle gave me a look.

"Thank you Cole." I forced out.

"My pleasure." Cole said leaning in a little too close. When he did I could smell the soap he used, it was fresh and sweet, but still masculine. I almost wanted to bury my face in his neck and inhale deeply, getting lost in him forever. I must have been staring because when I broke from my reverie I could see Cole sitting down looking like he was trying to keep from smiling.

Uncle Matthew had sat down too. He clapped his hands together and the maids brought out the salads for us to start with. I raked my fork across it suddenly losing my appetite. There was a long and tense silence between the three of us; I was beginning to wonder what the point of Cole's visit was. Other than to mess with my mind

"Now Matthew, let's not waste time with small talk. I spoke with my great grandfather today about our conversation earlier. He said the chair is as good as mine once we can get the permission from you and the approval of the current Elders about our union. He was rather pleased with my choice I might add, this could mean big things for you Matthew."

"I see." Uncle Matthew played with his napkin on the table and looked down at his salad. "I am still not entirely convinced however."

Cole raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what this could mean for you? Matthew if you approve this you will be an elite member of our society."

"How would it affect me?" He asked. I suddenly felt like I had been dropped in the most confusing conversation ever. _What were they even arguing about? _"Like you said, people think I just want to get rid of her, and agreeing to this only proves their point. I would be seen as the villain getting rid of the responsibility I never wanted to begin with."

Coles jaw clenched and his eyes were deadly. _Her? They can't be talking about me. But they have to me. Oh God what is going to happen to me?_

"Are you saying you disapprove?" Cole asked darkly. I looked at him. All the warmth and playfulness I had seen all day was gone. He was Cole Wilshire again, cold and ruthless.

"Yes." Uncle said. Cole slammed his hands on the table as he rose from his chair.

"You don't know what you are doing!" He seethed. "I'm warning you, this is going to be a mistake you regret."

"Not the way I see it." Now Uncle Matthew rose, he was staring straight into Cole's green eyes. "You listen here boy, I don't care who your family is, you're still nothing but a citizen, and if you expect me to just be a part of handing you an Elder chair after the things you have done you're insane. And I'm definitely not getting her involved with you."

"This isn't over yet Matthew!" He exclaimed. "I can guarantee you that." He left quickly slamming the front door and screeching out of the driveway in his car. I sat there for a second trying to form actual words.

"What's going on?" I stood up from my chair. Uncle Matthew looked at me in surprise; he had apparently forgotten that I was still there. I looked at him waiting for an answer.

"Selene." Uncle Matthew said calmly. "Cole approached me today wanting your hand. I feel that his intentions are selfish and that it is not in your best interest. I have just told him that he will not have my approval to marry you."

"What?" I asked dumbfounded. I sat back in my chair head in my hands. _It all makes sense now._

"How long have you known about this?" I looked up at him feeling a bit of betrayal that he hadn't warned me about this.

"He came to me this morning." _That's why he was here._ "Selene I want you to listen to me. Cole is dangerous; he's been known to kill anyone who gets in his way."

"Kill?" My throat felt hoarse. "Cole's never killed anyone."

"Yes he has." Uncle Matthew said moving to sit in the chair next to me. He took my hand in his, had I not been so upset I would have paid more attention to his unusual affection. "It was years ago when you were still with your parents. There was a human traveler by the name of Hull that came into town. At the time Cole was seeing a girl he had went to school with, Lena. Both Cole and Lena were quarreling often, and when Hull came, Lena fell in love with him after growing tired of Cole's possessiveness. He found out about the affair and became very angry that she would prefer a human over him. Later on, Hull and Lena drove off together trying to run away from Cole, but the car's brakes were cut, and they crashed into the sea. Their bodies were never found."

"But no one knows for sure that Cole did it do they?" I asked him. _Why was I defending him? This man who wants me is a murderer._

"That is true; there was no proof that Cole did it." He admitted. "Most of the town saw it as an accident, Hull had complained about the bad brakes in his car when he first came here. But a few, most of them vampires who of Cole's jealousy and they suspected him to be a culprit in this terrible accident.

"Were you suspicious?" I asked. "Be honest."

"I never could decide." He admitted. "I never thought that Cole was overly serious about Lena, and when I heard about the accident and that she was running from Cole with that human boy I didn't know what to think. Cole never caused any trouble before, it just didn't seem right, but the story made sense."

"What happened afterward?"

Well, that's why he pulled back and remained private, hoping the heat would die down."

"How come I never knew this?" I asked. "I've been in this town for three years and I go to school with kids who would have been here when it happened, none of them ever mentioned anything."

"You were all seven years old or younger, none of the adults wanted the children to be a part of what was going on." He said. "I told you already, most did not think he was guilty of the crime, so once the funeral for Lena and Hull ended so did the gossip about what happened, but that's not the point. The point is that he wants you Selene. Just because it is tradition and a sign of respect for a male vampire to ask permission from the surviving caretaker of their potential mate before getting approval from the Elders, does not mean that it is necessary."

"I don't understand."

He sighed. "Just because I told him no, he couldn't marry you, doesn't mean he can't still try. He could go to the Elders and say that I am not being reasonable, at which point the Elders can investigate further. They will look into how you're treated by me. If they see that I'm denying him from marrying you out of invalid reasons_, _then what I say won't matter and he can marry you without my approval."

"What about what I want?" I asked. "What if I don't want to marry him?"

He looked down in despair. "It's something that they have never come across Selene. In ancient times it wouldn't matter what the woman wanted, it was all about status."

"But hasn't there ever been a girl who didn't want her suitor?"

"No, most vampires who are married were with their mate before they wed, thus it was just a formality to go through the approval process. Occasionally a girl gets multiple proposals, and then that is the only time where she can choose which one she wants. Never has anyone done what Cole did, asking for the hand of a girl he didn't know, not for centuries anyway. The only way a woman can get out of it is if she reports mistreatment by her husband. Since that has never happened the Elders have always kept the ancient traditions." I felt like I was going to cry. _He would make good on his promise, he would find a way to force me into marriage._

"Why didn't you or my parents ever tell me any of this?" I screamed. "How could I have never known about these Neanderthal traditions?"

"Your parents probably wanted to wait until you were older, you did not grow up around vampires so they never thought that you would end up hearing about these rules from a vampire friend or classmate and then question them about it. When you came here I assumed that you would meet a boy you liked and that the subject would come up naturally."

I exhaled. "So there's no use in fighting." Tears began to escape.

"No, there may be a chance." I looked up at him in hope. "Like I said, if a female reports mistreatment she can be free from the marriage. If he does get approval to marry you, the two of you will have your honeymoon period. The new couple spends two weeks together, undisturbed at their new home to try and connect." I squirmed as the idea of what Cole may have in store if we got to that point. "After those two weeks they face the Elders. The Elders will fairly ask both of them if they wish to continue the marriage. If they say yes, then they continue on together unless a problem occurs in the future. If they say no, then the marriage is broken."

"So you're saying my only chance is to marry him, have the honeymoon, and then say I don't want to stay married to him when we face the Elders?"

"I'm afraid so." He said.

"And what am I supposed to do those two weeks? Lock myself in a room?" I asked.

He said nothing as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to me. I pushed it away and ran upstairs to my room, locking the door behind me. I switched off the lights and crawled under the covers sobbing silently. I didn't even bother to change clothes.


	6. A Visit

**Chapter 6-A Visit**

_Cole_

_That bastard. That good for nothing selfish bastard. _I had been fuming from the moment that I left that house to this very moment back in my own home. _He thinks that he can stop me? He really thinks that he can keep me from my Selene? No one can keep up apart. _I would find a way to be with her. All I had to do was talk to the Elders. I quickly went to my phone and dialed my great grandfather; Jones.

After a single ring he answered. "Hello Cole, I've been expecting your call, how did it go?" He asked his voice raspy and low.

"He said no." I seethed. The events of the less than substantial dinner conversation loomed in my mind. I had thought that at the very least we would be able to discuss things properly, rather than him just taking seconds to refuse me. _It's my own fault partly, I went in feet first without warming up to him; you can't get a fish to bite without bait. _

"How could he have said no? You are a Wilshire, our family was one of the first vampire families to have ever existed, we have lineage tracing back to the Stone Age." His voice was excited but calm at the same time, always keeping composure.

"I don't need a history lesson, I need a solution. I called you to tell you I want to face the Elders and say that Matthew Hayward is being irrational in his choice and that Selene would be an ideal match for me." Every time I said her name her face appeared in my mind. I could clearly see her creamy skin and sweet pink lips forming a smile. I could see her sparkling hazel eyes holding so much vulnerability and innocence. I thought of how close I was to her today, the scent of roses in her hair and on her skin was so subtle yet drew me in with great power.

"She would be a great match." He agreed breaking my thoughts of her. "She is the last of the Parish line on her mother side and with the exception of her uncle is the last of the Hayward line on her paternal side. The Elders are all about keeping the bloodlines alive, the two of you joining would surely secure your seat on the Elder's table."

"I don't give a damn about that! I only even told Matthew that marrying her would get me the seat because I know that he is a desperate social climber. I'm not saying I wouldn't take the position with honor, but it's not why I am fighting to marry her." I actually could care less about being an Elder. They were merely figureheads to the laws that the ancestors had made. Really the only time they ever joined was to handle marriages and to see if there were any disputes in the vampire community; which there never were.

"Why do you want to marry her?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"That's my business." I said defensively. "All that matters is that I am willing to do anything."

"Matthew has definitely made things more complicated. Never once have I heard of someone rejecting a man from proposing to a woman. Are you sure that you are only willing to marry _her_?" I could tell he was just trying to insure that things would be less complicated for me, but he was only making things more frustrating. I thought of the other women who he might have been thinking of as alternate choices. Vampire women from great families who were well educated and beautiful, all of them acted as though they were entitled to constant praise and pampering, their conceit and narcissism disgusted me.

"Yes. I don't care who else is out there, who their families are and how great they may be, none of them are Selene. She is who I want."

"I realize that Cole, but just the same you will have to put your mindset of where the Elders are coming from. They have two concerns. One; if she is a vampire who can keep our race alive—"

"Which she is." I said still feeling tense.

"And two," he continued, ignoring the interruption. "They look for consent of the family. Since you don't have that they are going to have to investigate to see if Matthew Hayward is legitimate in his refusal."

"Which he is not." I was pacing around the room gripping the phone so tight I was sure it would break.

"I will call a meeting tomorrow and we will begin asking the townsfolk about both Matthew and Selene tomorrow. Don't worry Cole, I have faith that this will work in your favor."

"It better."

"You watch yourself now Cole." He warned the calmness of his voice now stern, showing the first bit of true emotion. "I am on your side, and if you would like it to remain that way I suggest you treat me with respect."

"My apologies." I forced out. I did realize that he wasn't against me, but I was angry how things had to turn out.

"Relax, get some rest and behave yourself these next few days. Good bye Cole."

"Bye." I slammed the phone down, my breathing heavy as my mind spun. I needed to feed. I grabbed my keys and headed back to my car. Driving down the winding road through the forest and into town I decided to go to Lantern; the local bar in White Waters.

It wasn't like I needed this woman to drink from, I had a supplier in Connecticut who worked at a blood bank, he often shipped me boxes of the stuff so I wouldn't have to bother with the people in town. However today my adrenaline was high, and I needed some fresh, sweet blood to calm my nerves. Maybe afterward I can pay a visit to my sweetheart.

Pulling up I spotted my prey from the beginning. She was a young woman, about twenty or so who was, by the looks of it already drunk but heading into the bar anyway. I followed her in passing a few gawks from people who were not used to seeing me out.

The bar was full thanks to a party that one of the children from the high school was throwing. Lantern was notorious for letting in underage drinkers as a way to increase revenue. The girl I had seen earlier was in a small back table leaning over a margarita and staring at it like it was about to do a song and dance. I sat smoothly in a chair next to her and flashed a smile.

"Hello." I crooned. "I don't think I've seen you before." And with that I carried on, flirting a little, letting her lean in and come to me. She was an easy victim. Within moments I had drank a few gulps from her fake tanned neck. I ended up leaving her looking more wasted and tired than she had before. I wiped my lip with my thumb and sauntered out back to my car, leaving her there to fend for herself. By tomorrow she would have no memory of me.

I drove forward to Selene's home. _You should leave her alone. _I told myself. _But I can't. I just want to make sure she's okay. She must be terribly confused. _I was positive based on the look on her face that Matthew had not warned her about me coming to visit beforehand, which also means that she also had no idea as to _why _I was there_._

I parked my car around the corner from her home hoping to go unnoticed. I rushed forward to the back of the house where her bedroom window faced. She had left the window open; it was almost a sign that I was doing the right thing in visiting her. In one bound I leapt up to the window, supporting myself on the tiny frame and then swung my body inside her room.

Her cat woke up and jumped in my path, looking as though he was ready to strike. I bent down and gently pet the top of his head. He purred as I scratched behind his ears and ran my hand smoothly down his back.

"That's a good kitty." I whispered. I looked back up to see Selene sleeping peacefully under the covers. Her brow was furrowed and her cheeks were damp as she lied there so very still. She had been crying and I could see that she hadn't bothered to change clothes.

The cat jumped onto the bed and snuggled up next to her licking at her hand in comfort. I decided it was best to leave then, I would find a way to run into her tomorrow to see if she was feeling alright. I gave the cat one little pat before whispering, "You take care of my girl for me." I kissed Selene on top of her head and smoothed the line between her eyebrows with my thumb. She complied as her forehead smoothed making her look more serene. She was beautiful by day, but in the softness of night she was exquisite, her full pink lips were so inviting. _Just one kiss, she would never know. _

I decided against it. When I did decide to kiss her she was going to be awake and willing.

"Don't be afraid of me love," I whispered as I stroked her cheek gently. "I promise I will keep you safe."

I leapt out her window and walked back to my car. A hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. I spun around to see Matthew standing there.

"Why hello Matthew, what brings you out this evening?" I said, shrugging his hand off. His eyes were narrowed and filled with anger.

"Get off my property and away from my niece."

"Your niece is just one Elder meeting away from becoming my wife." I said, looking up at her window.

"The Elders will never be on your side."

"Oh really? You said it yourself everyone thinks that you are unkind to her, and all because her mother chose to be with your brother instead of you. Selene is as good as mine."

"Not unless she contests. All she would have to do is say that you are mistreating her after the honeymoon period and then she is free from you. You will never be able to go near her again." He stood there looking so sure of himself.

"Once she is with me she will find how good I am going to be to her. I just need to get her away from people like you who poison her mind and tear apart her spirit."

"That is if what I told her tonight doesn't scare her off from you completely."

"What did you tell her?" I felt the power shift. Suddenly I was on the defensive and he was on the offensive, ready to hit vulnerability. He waited a long moment, stringing it out.

"I just informed her about Lena. Do you remember her Cole? She was your last infatuation. Selene was terrified to learn what you did to her." He sneered.

I laughed. "You know nothing dear Matthew. What happened with Lena was long ago, and what really happened to her is only known by me. Well me and a couple of others, but it doesn't matter who they are I promised not to let that mystery to be solved."

"You killed her." He said. "Her and that human boy. You know she could have never been with that boy, the Elders would never have approved of it, she would have been yours but you couldn't let your jealousy pass and it got the better of you. You killed them both."

"Now you see no one was ever able to prove that." I said lightly, I turned to leave but I gave him one last piece of advice, speaking to him over my shoulder as my back faced him. "You don't want to get in my way Matthew."


	7. Encounters

**Chapter 7-Encounters**

_Selene_

_I saw him standing there, his back to me gazing out onto his dim world. When I was only a few feet from him he turned toward me and smiled. He released his fangs as did I with mine. Though both sets just as dangerous and deadly; his still appeared more masculine and fierce compared to my own._

_His eyes were filled with lust. He reached his hand out to me. I looked behind me to see the field which I had been in the dream before; the tall grass bended with the wind and the air around it seemed to sparkle. I looked back in front of me where he stood and saw the gray, sandy desert behind him; lifeless and cold._

_I had to choose. _

_His hand remained out as he patiently waited for me. Without much more hesitation I took his hand. His smile widened as he pulled me into his world. His world began to take yet again but this time it was more powerful. I looked into his eyes feeling frightened and helpless. He laughed coldly as a sandstorm whipped around both of our bodies. We were trapped inside a tornado of charcoal sand. I held him close to me for protection. He enclosed me in his arms tightly putting his lips to me ear just as he had before._

_I turned my head slightly so that our lips were only millimeters apart. He looked so frightening and yet as he held me he was so gentle._

"_Kiss me." He commanded. "Now." I closed my eyes and prepared to lean in closing the gap between our mouths._

And then I woke.

I laid there in bed for an hour before I could talk myself into getting up. The dream I had was more intense than the first. I could still feel the warmth of his body from the dream, but then my mind went to last night at dinner.

_Married? Cole Wilshire wants me to marry him? He doesn't even know me, and I'm only seventeen for goodness sake._ I then remembered what Uncle Matthew had said to me. _Could he really have hurt that girl?_

Trying to push the thought out of my mind I swung my legs out of bed and headed to my closet so that I could get dressed. I froze as I passed my open window. _Vampire. _The scent of presence that had been standing by my window lingered. I inhaled deeply trying to figure out who it could be. _Cole. _Cole had come here last night. I shuddered at the thought of what he could have done while I slept. I cursed myself, I should have been able to hear him come in, but I must have been so dead asleep from being upset that I couldn't pick anything up.

I got dressed faster than ever, settling for a yellow sweater and jeans with navy sneakers. I threw my hair up into a short ponytail and grabbed my school bag while quickly heading downstairs, hoping to avoid Uncle Matthew. I kept my footsteps as quiet as possible, skipping the steps I knew creaked. I peeked around the corner and looked over my shoulder for him; nothing. _Just a few more steps and I'm free. _

"Selene." He called as I was inches from the door. I took a deep breath and turned to face him. He was at the top of the stairs looking down at me with his arms crossed.

"Yes." I said politely.

"Selene, I want you to stay away from Cole Wilshire." His voice was colder and more serious than ever. I could tell by the look in his eyes that if I defied him I would regret it in some way. "If you see him around town or trying to approach you I want you to come straight home and lock the door. He is dangerous and the last thing I need is to have to protect you from him." _That's all he cares about? The fact that he would _have to _protect me, not that I could be in real danger._

"Yes uncle." I stepped out of the house before he could say another word.

As I walked to school I felt the need to look over my shoulder every second feeling as though Cole was going to appear out of nowhere. I tried my hardest to not have him in my mind but all I could think about was him. The more I saw him whether it be a dream or actual reality, the darker I found him, but also the more seductive. My heart beat fast as I wondered what would have happened had my dream not have ended before we could have actually kissed.

"Hey shorty!" A happy voice said. I jumped at the unexpected noise and turned to see Tanner. _Oh joy. _"So I've been dying to ask you how you know that guy Cole that was at the shop yesterday. Can you say intense?"

I knew if I didn't just say something he would not stop bothering me, but I wasn't sure my saying anything would get him to back off either. "Everyone in town knows everyone else. It's small here."

"Huh." Tanner whipped his hair out of his eyes only to have it fall back in front of them again. "So guess what? Looks like you and I are going to be working together."

"What?" I asked confused.

"Yep. My dad bought that store, its part of why we moved here, he likes taking small businesses and turning them into empires. He bought The Teahouse and hopes to franchise it. Anyway my dad hired me on to run the front end of the store, don't worry you're not out of the job; Ira said she would only sell it to him if we kept you on the team. He signed a contract and everything so he won't back out either. It's going to be great…" He rambled on as I felt my heart sank even further than it had when I was told that The Teahouse had been sold to someone else, but now to have a name and a face to it may it real. My beautiful shop was going to belong to some city slicker who wanted to turn it to a chain establishment. The whole reason I liked working there was because it was special. "…and that's why I asked about Cole." The last part caught my attention again.

"What did you say?"

"I said that's why I asked you about Cole. He keeps contacting my dad saying that he wanted to put in an offer but that Ira had already sold it. He's offering big bucks for the place."

"What does your dad have to say about that?" I asked keeping my voice light.

"He says Cole is the only person who has ever scared the crap out of him, which is really saying something. But he doesn't want to sell." He pulled a stick of gum out of his pocket and pulled off the foil so he could pop it into his mouth. "Want some?"

"No thanks." I felt my stomach turn. _What if Cole was able to convince him to sell? What if we were married and I worked for him?_ I knew the answer. There would be no escape from him, maybe it was a blessing that Tanner's family owned The Teahouse now. As we walked onto the school campus, Tanner now prattling on about how he wants to learn some kind of instrument but can't decide which, I felt a hand dig its fingernails into my arm it pulled me to the side.

Valerie stood there looking at me, her face dead serious.

"Hey Val." Tanner said with a smile.

"Hey Tanner, I just need to borrow her for a second if you don't mind." She plastered on a pearly white smile and batted her eyelashes.

"Okay." He seemed oblivious to her flirting. He gave me a quick wave before saying; "See ya in class Selene."

When he turned to leave Valerie dragged me into a quiet corner that was isolated from everyone else. I pulled my arm away and looked at her in bewilderment. "An Elder was at my house this morning." She began. When I said nothing she continued. "He asked me and my family what we thought of your Uncle Matthew and how he treated you. What's going on? My parents said that they called your uncle and he said that Cole Wilshire wants to marry you but that your uncle denied him which is why the Elders are having to ask around about how he treats you. Is it really true?"

I said nothing. _I should have stayed home today._

"Selene," her voice had an edge to it. "My parents also told me that years ago when we were just kids Cole was a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend. I asked them how come I never knew until now and they said they wanted to keep it as quiet as possible. At the time they didn't think Cole would do such a thing, but now with this sudden interest in you they're worried that he is more menacing than they gave him credit for."

"What-um-what did you and your parents say to the elder, about me and my uncle?" I asked playing with my hands nervously.

"Before they found out why he was really there they admitted that they thought that he resented you because he could never get over being angry with his brother, your father. Now they're worried that they've just signed you over to Cole."

"What do you think of Cole?" I kept my eyes on my shoes as I asked her.

"He is definitely handsome, wealthy and charming, not to mention incredibly intangible and mysterious." Her eyes glinted with attraction as she listed his traits. "But he also sounds dangerous, and not the alluring sexy kind either."

The bell rang and without saying anything more to one another we filed into class. She sat with her friends in the front and I took my spot in the back, both of us acting like we hadn't spoken to the other just moments before. Tanner who was already in his seat next to mine was drumming his fingers against the desk, headphones jammed in his ears. I pulled out a small novel and tried to focus on its contents trying to ignore everything around me.

Soon our teacher began class but even as hard as I tried to take notes and pay attention I found that I just needed a moment to clear my head. I rose my hand timidly.

"Selene." My teacher called, his face surprised at the fact that I was going to speak up.

"May I use the bathroom?"

"Yes." He said before turning back to the board.

I walked as fast as I could to the bathroom, feeling as though I was going to cry if I could not just get somewhere quiet and private soon. When I went in I checked each individual stall and saw that they were all empty. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then stiffened just as quickly. The light that came in from outside disappeared as the door shut, I heard the lock click loudly.

"Alone at last." I turned and saw Cole, his long body was leaning against the door making him look perfectly at ease.

I looked to the nearest stall. _I could lock myself in there. _But what good would that do? He could just as easily break the door down if he really wanted too. _The window. _Without turning I knew there was a window on the opposite end between the two rows of stalls. I just had to get there before he caught me. I took a step toward him in attempt to make him think that he had won, that I wasn't going to try to escape.

He grinned and stood up straight waiting for me to come closer. I faked another step and turned quickly to the window, speeding as fast as I could. I heard him run up from behind and grab me covering my mouth with his hand as I tried to scream. He dragged me into one of the large stalls and pinned me against the wall as he locked the stall door shut.

"You don't want to scream." He warned, voice sounding deadly. His lips went to the spot just below my ear and he kissed me. "Now where were we?"


	8. Confrontations

**Chapter 8- Confrontations**

_Selene_

I was shaking. Or rather I was being shaken. A clammy hand had taken hold of my shoulder and thrashed it about.

My eyes snapped open. I looked to see that I was sitting in my classroom. Tanner was next to me and I noticed that it was his hand on my shoulder. A few people in class had their heads turned toward us in amusement from seeing me asleep in class. "Wake up Selene, Mr. Price is going to see you." He whispered harshly. My mind seemed to spin as I realized what had happened.

I had had another dream. I never went to the bathroom and Cole did not hold me prisoner in a stall. I just fallen asleep in class and had a terrible nightmare. _But it felt so real. _I touched the spot under my ear where Cole had kissed me. My body shuddered. _This has got to end. I don't want him invading my dreams anymore, I have to do something._

People grew bored with staring at me and focused back on the lecture. _Lucky humans. _I thought, with the exception of me, Valerie and a large handful of others at this school; everyone here was perfectly human. Perfectly human and perfectly capable of getting to decline a proposal from anyone who offered, I was very envious of them.

The bell rang and I bolted out of class, not just out of class, but out of school. Tanner followed behind, his flip flops slapping against the concrete. "Selene? Selene, are you okay? Where are you going?" He sputtered out as quickly as he could. My hands were balled into fists as I marched toward the woods. He grabbed my arm to stop me but he was not anywhere near as strong as I was so I shrugged him off easily. "Selene!"

I closed my eyes as I stopped and faced him. Drawing in a deep breath I opened my eyes and looked at him. "I promise to be back soon, I just have to do something. Please let me go." I looked at him almost pleadingly. I had to do this. I had to do this now.

"Okay. Are you sure you're okay?" I nodded and hitched the strap of my bag further up on my shoulder and made my way through the thicket of trees. Normally, I would take the time to enjoy the beauty that was the forest of White Waters. I loved the trees and the small animals scurrying about, taking sips from the creek and then hiding in their burrows. However, today I had one focus; Wilshire house.

I raced through more angry and determined than I have ever been in my entire life. Usually when things bothered me I tried to just get passed it and act like it didn't upset me, I hated confrontation. With Cole it was different. He had taken over every part of my mind; when I wasn't terrified of him I was curious about him and lately I couldn't even shut my eyes without him being there.

Not only that but currently I was having everyone remind me about him every time I actually tried to get him out of my head; Uncle Matthew, Tanner, and now Valerie, who I fully blame for the last dream. She used to drool over Cole and now her being frightened of Cole made me rethink everything.

I could see his home through the branches. It's pure white color contrasting against the dark trees, making it look both regal and haunting at the same time. His windows were open allowing cool air in. From my hiding spot behind the trees I focused my eyes through each window searching for movement. _Yes. _A tall figure moved about gracefully.

I ran forward to his back door and banged my fist angrily against it.

The door swung open smoothly, Cole leaned against the frame and smiled, his emerald eyes flashing wildly. He wore a gray tank with black sweatpants and his hair looked more tousled than usual. I looked him dead in the eye waiting for him to speak first, this time I was going to be in control.

"May I help you Selene?" He asked cordially.

"I would prefer to speak inside please." He stepped aside letting me pass. This time I had no problem entering his home.

The inside was just as lovely as the outside. Currently I had stepped right into the kitchen. The cabinets were all painted black and the counter tops were the most beautiful configuration of marble. The dark wood floors seemed to stretch through the entire house. A wood burning fireplace roared with life and candles were placed subtly in corners and nooks, making the house feel like a home. I noticed that he had pots boiling on the stove with what smelled like Italian food. "You cook?" I asked tenderly.

"A man's got to eat." He said, sitting on top of the counter. "You wanted to say something."

My mind spun back into focus. "What are you doing?" I said firmly as I set my bag on his counter.

"Cooking." He said looking back at his food. He knew where I was going but he wanted to play with me first. _No, I'm in control this time not you._

"You know exactly what I mean Cole." I pointed a finger in his chest. "Why me? Why are you doing this to me?" My voice was louder than I had ever heard it before.

He was silent for a moment. I could see he was trying to choose his words very carefully. "Why are you so concerned? I thought you would be happy about having a way to escape Matthew." He said Matthew as though it were some nasty flavor on is tongue.

"Don't try to act like you were trying to be some hero. I want to know why you, someone who before these past couple of days never said more than a word to me, someone who is ten years older than me, and someone who couldn't be more opposite to me wants me as his wife?" I was fuming.

"Which question do you want answered first?" I didn't say a word. _Just answer them. _I thought.

He hopped down from the counter. I flinched slightly thinking he was going to come toward me, but instead he went over to the stove and grabbed a wooden spoon so that he could stir the pots filled with meats and sauces that sizzled lightly.

I walked over to him, looking at him as stern as I could. He gave me a side glanced and smiled in reaction to the expression on my face. Still, without a single word he a brought a wooden spoon up to my mouth, I saw what I assumed was marinara sauce on it, steam rising to the ceiling. He looked at me waiting for me to taste it. Hoping it would get him to answer me I complied and took and ate the contents off of it. "Well?" He asked. "How does it taste?"

"Answer me first and I'll tell you." I said proud of how I was turning things on him.

He let out a low chuckle and set down the spoon. "I'm curious about you. I've noticed you before, and you're different than anyone else I've ever come across. I want to know you."

"But you could just—" he put a finger to my lips to silence me.

"And, I like the way you always have a distant look in your eyes, as though your mind is in a world far more incredible and interesting than your body is. I like how you are unaware of the way the boys and men alike in this town admire your beauty when you pass them on the street. And the way you walk. And the way your cheeks look when you smile." I smiled in spite of myself, and then self consciously covered my cheeks with my hands.

"Don't hide them." He said taking each of my hands in each of his. "And I love the way your hands are so delicate." He flattened my hands against his; his hands were so large in comparison to my small ones. He focused his eyes on our hands for a moment and then he looked into my eyes. "Does that answer your question?"

I nodded. _It didn't answer everything, but I couldn't think of anything to say._

"Are you still afraid of me Selene?" I looked up at him in surprise.

"Excuse me?" I asked, for some reason I felt ashamed that he was able to pick up on that. He raised an eyebrow knowing that he was going to be the ones to turn the tables this time. He waited for my answer. "I'm still not sure." I admitted sorrowfully.

"That's fair." He nodded. "Would you like to join me for lunch?" He asked, trying to lighten the moment. I figured that he wasn't overly happy about me still being afraid of him; so he offered to have me join him so he could prove me that I had no reason to be frightened.

"It's very early for lunch." I said trying to sound just as light. I glanced over to the clock that read nine thirty.

"This stuff will take a while to finish, and then I prefer to let it set before heating it up again so it can be eaten. I sure would like the companionship though; you were in quite a rush last time you were here." He joked. I smiled in embarrassment. "Of course I wouldn't want to keep you from any prior engagements; I do realize that you are supposed to be in school."

_Oh God school! _Before I could respond I heard a loud banging on the front door. Cole looked behind him and went on over to answer it. I followed him staying partially hidden behind a wall, peeking over to see who else would have come by. Cole opened the door swiftly and stiffened as he looked to who stood on his front porch. I stiffened. It was my Uncle Matthew. He pushed right through Cole, not yet noticing me.

"I have all of the Elders knocking on every door of every vampire family in this town asking if they think I am good to my niece!" He spat. "You are soiling my reputation in this community, a reputation I have worked my entire life trying to achieve."

"Do come in Matthew." Cole said shutting the door as Uncle Matthew paced in the foyer. Cole shot me a glance from where he stood. I knew I should have taken the opportunity to slip out back and run to school, but my legs felt like lead, and my feet were numb.

"I want this to end now Cole; I will not have my name thrown around in such a fashion any longer." Uncle Matthew continued. He placed his hands on his hips and looked to the side, and then right at me. I could have sworn that his eyes turned bright red in anger. He came over to me and grabbed my arm roughly. "I thought I told you to stay away from him. Are you so stupid that you can't understand that?" To my great surprise he reached up and backhanded me across the cheek. I placed my hand over my face, tears streaming down.

"Get your hands off of her." Cole came up to both of us and shoved Uncle Matthew aside. "Go back to school Selene." He ordered, his eyes not leaving my uncle's.

"She is under my care, I will tell her what to do." Uncle Matthew's face had turned bright purple in anger.

"Why don't I take care of things?" All of us looked back to see that someone had come in. Cole's great grandfather, Elder Jones had come in. His face was completely unreadable. "Matthew, I think you should leave here now. Cole, why don't you drive the young lady to school and then come back here, we have a few things to discuss." Uncle Matthew straightened his jacket and headed out the door while Cole pulled out his dark trench from a nearby closet and slipped it over his arms. "Oh and Matthew," Elder Jones continued, Uncle stopped in his tracks, "If you hit her again, you will have to face a trial with the Elders about the proper punishment for striking a woman, and we _will _be asking Selene if you have periodically, making sure to let her know she should be honest with us if it does happen again." Uncle Matthew nodded tersely before leaving.

"Come Selene." Cole said. He put his hand on the small of my back as he guided me to the kitchen. He turned off the fire under all of the pots and then he grabbed my school bag from the counter handing it to me.

"I hope none of it is ruined." I chucked the bag on my shoulder looking at the food.

"It's not." He assured. He grabbed his keys and led me to the garage, his black Bentley gleamed proudly inside. He opened the passenger door for me. I slipped inside setting my bag on my lap. He got in on his side and peeled out driving along the gravel road toward town.

We said not a single word to one another until we got to the school. He pulled up to the back so that I could try and sneak back on campus unnoticed, or so I figured. "Thank you Cole, for the ride I mean."

He touched my cheek where Uncle Matthew hit me. I liked the feeling of his cool fingers against my skin.

He opened a compartment in his car and took out a pen and small piece of paper, quickly jotting something down before handing it to me, it was a phone number. "If you need me give me a call, I'll be there in two minutes." His face was so sincere; I could tell how terribly he wanted me to trust him.

"Thank you." I stepped out and quickly went inside the building, grateful that just as I did, the bell rang and I was lost in the shuffle of students, unnoticed as being out of place. I passed by a small window to see Cole still in his car waiting by the school. I waved and he steered out of the parking lot his car vanishing from sight.


	9. Discussion

**Chapter 9-Discussion**

_Cole_

My body was tense. I could feel every muscle twinge, every nerve was on end and my breath was shallow. _How dare he lay a hand on her. If he ever touches her again I'll…_I was too angry to think.

As I drove Selene to school she remained silent, she sat demurely in the passenger seat while gazing faraway at something outside of the window. She seemed completely unfazed by what had just happened moments before, as a matter of fact she seemed as though she was completely unaware of what happened moments before.

I pulled up to the back of the high school where she could enter campus discretely, thinking of my own memories I had been unaware of, or at least tried to become unaware of. White Waters High School was far from a place of pleasant memories; I remember how my fellow vampire cohorts enjoyed using humans as pawns to do their bidding and fawn over them. I found it repulsive and preferred to not associate with humans in the least, not that I felt that I was better than them, but I found my priorities and values in life varied from theirs. And of course there was Lena…

"Thank you Cole, for the ride I mean." Selene broke my train of thought. She was looking at me, her brow was furrowed and her eyes seemed slightly worried. The cut and bruise which Matthew left behind on her cheek was almost completely healed, just a light pink scar and the faintest of purple shadow that almost looked like blush rather than a bruise. I touched the spot very gently with my fingers, her eyes seemed to soften.

Without thinking I grabbed a pen and paper and jotted down my phone number for her. "If you need me give me a call, I'll be there in two minutes." I hoped that she trusted me enough to actually do so if she truly did need me.

"Thank you." She said and stepped out onto campus. The bell rang as she descended into the building, though she was behind stained windows and surrounded by dozens of other students, I could still see her perfectly. I watched her carefully; mesmerized by the way she moved gracefully through the crowd. She stopped at a window and looked at me. Her fingers moved lightly as she waved in my direction, I smiled to myself and drove back off to my home.

I had completely forgotten about great grandfather Jones until I pulled up to it and saw his car in the lot. I hastily parked my car and headed up to the home. He sat in a large chair in the front living room reading a newspaper. _I am not in the mood for this. _I had been in the room no more than just a few moments before he began to speak.

"Good to see you again Cole, everything with Selene go smoothly?" He asked, not even bothering to look up from his paper.

"Safe and at school." I confirmed, trying to seem as distant as he was. I remained standing as I peeled off my coat and hung it over the side of another chair.

"How is her face, she suffered quite the blow by Matthew." Though he sounded indifferent, I knew he was concerned. Women were like precious gems in our community; being both treasured and well taken care of. If a man were to hit a woman once he would have a single warning; as Matthew had been given. If he was to repeat the offense he could be exiled, beaten, or even killed depending on how badly the woman was hurt and the age of the woman. A child being abused was automatic death sentence unless the family contested and lobbied for lifelong exile instead.

"She'll be fine, he on the other hand…" My teeth grinded together in anger. _I should kill that no good animal._

"Calm yourself Cole. If you attack him it will be very bad for you, let the Elders handle it." He paused for a moment. "I have some news that may ease your mind anyway, and will definitely make you rethink causing trouble."

"What is it?" I waited for him to respond as he folded his paper and tucked it into the briefcase which was at his feet. He paced the room and looked at the painting I had over the fireplace, the one of the French country side.

He stood tall, far over six feet like me. Despite his age, which trickled into the triple digits, his sandy brown hair was barely touched with gray and his face was almost free of age. He was light eyed, and one could easily tell that in his youth his eyes held a lot of vibrancy and fire, but now they were more distinguished and had years of gained wisdom.

"It seems this investigation is going in your favor." He got stood squarely in front of me. I felt a bit of joy within me. "Not a single person has had anything positive to say about Matthew's relationship with Selene. I also informed the Elders of his striking her while you escorted the young lady to school, and it seems that the very action has all but forced him to hand her over to you on a silver platter."

I nodded. My mind raced. _I'm almost there, she's almost all mine._ "How much longer must I wait before I know for sure?"

"We meet tonight." He said shortly. "The Elders have unanimously agreed to investigate no further and wish to finish this." His words assured me, but his eyes held something more.

"But…"

"But," he affirmed. "In the back of the minds of the Elders, myself included, we still think of Lena and her link to you."

"Why must everyone dwell on what happened to her? It's in the past."

"The fact is that your name began to float around after she disappeared was not good for you Cole, now with this investigation going on people are beginning to raise up questions again, a few more are contemplating the idea that you killed her and that boy."

"There is no proof that I did anything. Everyone knows that the night the car went into the sea I was at home with my parents, and nothing in the car suggests foul play, like cut brakes for instance, so I couldn't have done anything before hand. People just want someone to blame and the jealous ex-boyfriend is the most interesting angle."

"Are you willing to stand by what you have just said?" He asked.

"Yes."

He nodded once. "Be at the Elder Hall tomorrow; at dawn. Selene and Matthew were both sent requests to attend the meeting as well. We will officially have the decision made by then."

"I don't want her to be in the car with him." I boomed. "Have someone else pick her up and take her there separately."

"I'll see what I can do." He said. He picked up his briefcase and headed toward the door.

I spoke up just as he reached for the knob. "You said that the investigation was going in my favor." He stopped and nodded once again in conformation. "How much in my favor? And what will happen once it does?"

"If the ruling goes in your favor tomorrow morning she will be escorted home by an Elder, pack her things immediately and move into this home. Afterward, she shall find a place to stay for the evening and prepare for the wedding ceremony the following evening. Meaning, that if it goes in your favor, she will be your wife the day after tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"Yes, we have felt that the transition. Should it happen, should get the least amount of attention as possible. Otherwise, the humans will begin to catch way of it and the vampires will begin getting more involved than they should. This is going to end soon no matter what decision is made." He pursed his lips and then allowed himself to smile ever so slightly. "As far as your first question on how I feel it will go, I think you will end up very pleased." He stepped outside and shut the door behind him. Getting into his car I watched him drive down the road and disappearing from sight.

I stood there unsure of what to think. _I am so close._ I reclined on my large, plush sofa and rubbed my brow. I had only been lying for a few moments before I shot back up again. I had a lot of preparations to handle.

I slipped into more suitable clothes and headed toward town. I wanted everything to be perfect for her when she came. _But what if she doesn't? What if they say no?_

I shook off that thought and went to another. _It does not matter. If I have to steal her I will. I am so close to having her trust me, if I can just sway her to run away with me I know she'll do it. _I did not even contemplate her refusing to flee with me if that situation should happen.

Of course no matter what did happen I would find a way to repay Matthew for that mark he left on Selene. He would not get away with hitting her. I knew I should let the Elder's handle it, but I did not care about that. I remembered that once I married Selene, grandfather would give me his Elder's chair.

I imagined life with Selene. We would live here in Wilshire House and I would pamper her daily. I would cook for her, tend to her, she would never have to lift a finger. I could see us together late at night by the fire, wrapped together in a single blanket as she told me everything about her as I stoked her hair and kissed her gently. Maybe one day, in the far future, we would have a few babies to take care of. _My wouldn't that be fun. _

I could hardly wait.


	10. Summon

**Chapter 10-Summon**

_Selene_

I had hoped to avoid Tanner at all costs. Something about him told me that he was the type to dig deep into other people's personal matters until all his questions were answered. _Maybe I should just flash him my fangs and scare him off. _I knew I would never do that though. I could face huge trouble if I exposed our kind to the humans.

Right now I was in the library, it was lunch and most people were in here copying each other's answers on homework assignments and cramming for tests that they had ignored for weeks.

I sat in my favorite spot on the ground toward the back of the library. It was the most secluded corner because it was where the old town manuscripts and files were, and since White Waters was hardly Chicago or New York City, very few people came back wanting to look up the town history.

I nestled down with the book I was trying to read earlier when I fell asleep in class. I had all but turned to the first page when a pair of worn flip flops appeared at my side. _Tanner._

"What in the world happened with you today?" He asked loudly. He sat down next to me and waited for my answer. I looked at him and saw that his eyes were stern, a look that did not match his boyish face.

"I'm sorry if I worried you." I placed my book back inside my bag. "I just needed to take care of something."

"And what would that be?" His eyes were widened. "Normal people don't just storm off with the look of death in their eyes like you did Selene. I covered for you and I think I deserve to know what happened."

"It's a personal matter." I told him sheepishly. I didn't like him prying into my life, he didn't even know me. Not to mention that I really did not want to start dishing about my current situation with Cole Wilshire, I could already tell that Tanner was more interested in Cole than he should be. Cole is the last person that Tanner wants to start investigating.

"A personal matter is an understatement." He swished his hair back with his fingers and stretched his tan legs out. For a while he remained completely quiet, he did nothing but study the carpeting of the library. I pulled out my book again thinking he had nothing else to say, but then he continued to speak. "So what's there to do around here?" He asked. I looked at him in surprise, seconds ago he was telling me how he thought he was entitled to know why I ran off earlier and now he had completely switched gears.

I shrugged my shoulders and opened my book. Suddenly I felt the book being snatched from my hands as Tanner backed away from me. I looked up to see him tossing the novel back and forth from hand to hand. "Do you always retreat to a book when you don't wanna talk to someone? You know that's not very ladylike." I reached for it but he raised it above his head. "I'll make you a deal." He was grinning widely now, thinking he had the advantage. _Testosterone filled human boys_. "If you agree to see a movie with me, I'll give you your book back, _and _if you agree to eat with me afterward, I will never utter another word about your disappearing act this morning."

I pretended to be thinking carefully about his proposition. Then in one graceful jump I reached up and swiped the book back and tucked it in my arms holding it snuggly to my chest. He looked shocked as he slowly realized that I had taken it back. _Never underestimate a nerdy vampire girl._

"Wow." He said. "That was impressive. What are you and Olympic jumper or something?" I smiled a little. "So, how about I _reward_ you with the movie instead since you were able to take the book back, same terms apply for food afterward." His face seemed smug.

"I'm sorry but I'm spoken for." My eyes widened and my breath cut off as I just realized what I had said. _I'm spoken for? _Cole's face flashed in my mind. I could not believe that those words left my lips. I was just grateful that Cole was nowhere near here. If he had heard me say that…

"Spoken for?" Tanner asked surprised. "Come on your joking right? If you were spoken for you would be spending your time with this alleged guy of yours rather than at the library, look you don't have to be shy around me Selene, I'm very easy going and I can be quite the gentlemen on a date."

"I don't doubt that." I didn't really want to hurt his feelings, but I didn't want to give him any hope that he could pursue me and be successful. _The last thing I need is for someone else to be after me._

"So who is this mystery guy that you are allegedly with?" His voice remained light; I could see that he didn't believe that I was spoken for. _Which I'm not, technically, right?_

"I-well-I—"

"Miss Hayward, may I speak to you for a moment?" I turned to see the school principle, Mr. Pruitt. His face was stern. _Oh no, the one time I ditch school and I get caught. _"Now, Miss Hayward." I did not bother looking back at Tanner as I gathered my things and followed him all the way to his office.

I sat into the seat across from his, folding my hands on his cherry oak wood desk.

Mr. Pruitt was a vampire. His family was the ones to have built the schools in White Waters, and ever since then there has been a Pruitt as principle. He sat down, removing the glasses which he only used as a prop. "Miss Hayward it has come to my attention that Cole Wilshire has asked for your hand, and that there are rumors circulating that he may very well succeed in making you his wife despite your uncle's rejection."

"Yes sir." I affirmed.

"Should this happen, the humans at this school may become suspicious about you marrying at such a young age. The Elders have advised me to inform you that should this marriage happen, that you keep it discrete. You do not have to lie, if anyone happens to ask you may tell them the truth, but do not flaunt this, at least until after graduation in June."

"Yes sir."

"As far as the traditional vampire honeymoon," he continued, getting a little uncomfortable. I have already arranged it for you to appear sick during those two weeks, so your time missed from school will not be counted against you." I felt uneasy hearing my principle discuss my possibly soon to be honeymoon period. However, I kept composure as much as I could.

"Yes sir, thank you."

"They have also asked that I give you this." He pulled a very formal looking envelope out from his coat pocket and slid it to me.

"Sir, what is this?"

"Open it and read for yourself. Good day Miss Hayward." He sat down and riffled through papers, clearly trying to tell me he wished for me to leave and read the note elsewhere. I did not hesitate; I got up and bolted out of his office holding the note tightly. I went behind a pillar outside of the building and sliced the envelope open with my finger.

_Dear Selene Rose Hayward,_

_You have been summoned to meet at Elder Hall at dawn tomorrow morning. An escort will be by your home at five o' clock sharp that morning for the purpose to bring you separated from your caretaker Matthew Jones Hayward, your blood uncle on your paternal side. _

_Please wear appropriate dress and be prepared to answer any questions that the Elder members may or may not have for you. _

_This meeting concerns the marriage proposal given to you by Cole Jackson Wilshire and the rejection of your hand from your caretaker Matthew James Hayward. _

_Should the Elders reject Mr. Wilshire's request to marry you, you shall return home with your uncle and live your life as you had prior to this incident. _

_Should the Elders accept Mr. Wilshire's request to marry you, you shall return home with an escort who will help you pack your belongings and who will also send them to Wilshire Manor, your new home. You will spend that evening at the White Waters Inn, where you will prepare yourself for the wedding ceremony during the following evening. _

_The information above may or may not be repeated at the Elder Hall. _

_Remember you are expected to behave properly in the presence of the Elders._

_Elder Jones-member two of the Elders_

I folded the note up. It was so real now.

I had never been to Elder Hall before, and it was rare to see an Elder. They were scattered about in different locations. According to father there were five Elders, all representing the most powerful families of our kind. He said that there words were law, and that no one ever questioned them. Mother would tell me that the Elders were all respectable men who pushed their laws as protection for our kind, but they would not hesitate to destroy one of us if we brought harm to another vampire, or if we killed a human. I shivered. I had only ever seen one Elder, Elder Jones, Cole's great grandfather, but I knew exactly who the other four were, what they looked like, and their names.

My heart began to beat rapidly. _What if Cole wins? What if we do get married? _

"Busted?" I spun around looking to where I heard the voice. _Guess who._ "Did Pruitt see you sneak off? How long are ya gonna be punished for it?"

"He wanted to see me about something else."

"Aw, he's not the one your spoken for is he?" Tanner asked crinkling his face.

"No!" I shouted, horrified.

"I'm just kidding. So you're not working today right?"

"That's correct." I answered. I figured that I might as well warm up to Tanner a little; he was clearly not going to back off. I almost wished I was already married, that would surely make him back off.

"Cool, why don't you swing by my place?" He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, looking like an excited puppy. "My dad would like to meet you, since he is taking over in a couple of days."

"I-I thought Ira wanted to wait a while longer?" _Is the entire world against me this week?_

"Change of plans, my dad wants to begin take over as soon as possible, his only hurdle right now is getting Colt off his back."

"Cole." I corrected. "His name is Cole."

"Whatever." Tanner shrugged, actually looking annoyed. "He creeps me out, no matter where I turn I see him skulking about, and I don't like him bugging my dad about buying the shop from him. That whole shop is what made my dad want to move here, he brought me and my family over on a whim hoping that he could buy from Ira, even enrolled me and my sisters in the schools here because he was so confident. Now that he actually has it, Collin thinks that he is going to be able to give a better offer."

"Cole." I corrected again.

"What's his problem? Is he like major possessive over things in this town or what? Cannot have newbie family coming in and taking over?"

"Has he mentioned why he wants to buy?"

"He just says it's important to him, whatever that means." Tanner crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Look Cole has lived here all his life, or so I have heard. When his parents moved away he stayed here and lived in his relatives home, where he still resides today, he must just really like it here and doesn't want anything in this town to fall apart."

"My dad can take care of things." Tanner defended. "And he most certainly can take care of Cole; you seem to be buddy-buddy with him, so you might want to let him know that he can't intimidate us."

_If only you knew._


	11. Past, Present and Future

**Chapter 11-Past, Present and Future**

_Selene_

Not having to go to work today was both a blessing and a curse. I was happy to have the evening to be home and unwind a little. Tomorrow could be the change of the rest of my life and I desperately wanted to hold on to every precious moment I had left of the world I knew.

I remembered the time before this when my world had turned upside down. I had only had Onyx for a month at that point, and he was just a small black puff of a kitten. My parents had waited to give him to me two weeks after my birthday because they wanted to really surprise me, having known that I had wanted a black kitten for years.

One night they left me home for a couple of hours because it was their anniversary, and my father wanted to have dinner alone with my mother. The restaurant that they had gone to had caught fire. The police told me that witnesses said that my parents acted heroically, they saved every single person in that restaurant, diving in and out of the burning building to help frightened people. But just as they rushed out the last group of people, the ceiling collapsed on them and they died.

That's when I met Uncle Matthew for the first time, he was the only one who came for me, and despite the desperate calls made by neighbors and police to the few family members I had.

Father and Uncle Matthew's parents did not even respond to the calls that were made. They were never good to either son, having married out of convenience and never getting along well. The two boys they had as a result were nuisances that forced them together longer than they had wanted. I was both grateful and resentful toward them. I was grateful because father learned from his parents' mistakes on how to care for a child, and treated me with love and kindness, but I resented them because father was such a good man who did not deserve parents who were so awful.

Mother's parents were both dead, they like mother loved living among the humans but got too close; they let their secret slip and were killed by hunters. Mother was devastated from it; she was only twenty at the time. She told me that is how she said she fell in love with father. She said that he was there for her to cry, scream, break things and even just run off and do something impulsive. She said that he swept her off her feet and made her feel like things were going to be okay again.

As far as great grandparents, great great grand parents, and so on and so forth, they were scattered about the world, too distant form me and my parents to feel that their help would make any difference.

Uncle Matthew came, a complete opposite to my father. He stood tall and blonde compared to my father, who though he was older, was slightly shorter, and had hair that was the warmest of brown. Uncle Matthew was cold, clinical and yet he was my only hope. He took care of my parents' arrangements and said that I would be staying with him from now on. I was happy that he let me keep Onyx, but I was sad that that was the only bit of sweetness he ever bestowed on me.

I lived with him in his large house complete with live in maids. He stuck me in one of the smaller rooms that had a bathroom attached and immediately enforced rule after rule about how I would live and behave in his home, and how I needed to get decent grades and a job once I was old enough if he was going to allow me to be in his care.

When I first started living with him, I was only thirteen, and I was naïve enough to think that if I acted sweet toward him and always remained optimistic that I would capture his heart. I truly believed that one day he would warm up to me. Fast forward four years, and I am still "that niece of his."

But that was in the past, and what wasn't I had let go of long ago. As far as today is concerned, I did not want to be home because I knew I would inevitably have to face Uncle Matthew. He had never hit me before; then again I had never disobeyed him before either. I had no idea what he would be like when he came home. For the first time since I had been with Uncle Matthew, I actually hoped that he would ignore me.

I entered the house to see that Uncle Matthew was waiting for me. He stood at the top of the stairs, the same place he was at when he told me to stay away from Cole. "Selene." His voice was slightly sarcastic.

"Yes Uncle." _Stay calm and it will be easier._

"Oh good, you can hear me. I was beginning to think that perhaps you couldn't, since it was just this morning that I had stood here and told you exactly what I wanted from you." He stepped down the stairs, hands in his pockets looking calm, but in a contemptuous way. "I never pegged you to be disobedient, I have told you what I wanted from you and you have complied, but what was so different about what I asked this morning?"

I did not speak; I knew he was not finished.

"No remark?" He asked eyebrows raised. "Hmm, that is surprising. Just the opposite of your father who never seemed to be able to quit running his mouth when he was alive especially when he made stupid errors in judgment as you have done."

I felt something in my body ignite. "Shut up!" I screamed. Literally screamed, I felt my face get red and hot and tears streamed down my face from strain.

"Excuse me?" He tried to say it mockingly, but the raw surprise was heard clearly.

"I said shut up. Stop trying to insult me and criticize me by insulting and criticizing my parents, especially my father!" My eyes became hot with tears. "You are just jealous! You hate that father got to have the family you always wanted, you hate that you could never be as strong and as happy as father was all the time!" My words were starting to come out staggered.

He showed the slightest bit of rage, opening his mouth to speak but then shutting it again as he saw me persist.

"You hate the fact that father was beloved by all who knew him and that you were just the pouty younger brother!" I looked him right in the face. "And you hate, that all of those things that father was that you were not, were the reasons why my mother fell in love with him over you!" I saw the maid peeking across corners watching my tantrums. All of the sarcasm left Uncle Matthews face, he stared at me as I continued. "I-I w-wish I was with them when they d-died, they were everything t-to m-m-me." I sobbed. "I wish I was with them and I wish tha-that I had died t-too, because trust me dying would be a much better alternative than l-living with _you. _I-I have tried for years to get you to l-love me and have been treated like I was some petty child that you _had _to deal with. W-why did you hate me? I did not do anything to you e-except try and love you and g-get you to love me b-back but I was never good enough. W-what did I do w-wrong?"

The tears spilled down my face. I found it hard to continue, but nonetheless I did.

"You are the only memory of my parents that I have." I looked into his eyes. "You were my mother's best friend; she told me stories of how you two were s-so close as children. Not only that but you are my father's brother, I'm-I 'm your big brother's b-baby, I should mean something to you." I sniffed. "I don't care what else you have to say. I'm not sorry I disobeyed you. All I have left to tell you is that no matter what happens tomorrow, I'm gone."

"Gone?" He asked speaking for the first time.

"Yes, if the Elders say no to me m-marrying Cole then I will find someplace else to go, maybe I will move back into my old neighborhood, but I'm done with staying here. N-now if you'll excuse me, I'm very tired and would like to g-go to bed." I passed him swiftly leaving him there in the foyer. I stomped up the stairs and saw from the corner of my eye, Uncle Matthew turn to look at me.

"Selene." He said softly. I ignored him, and went into my room; slamming the door shut and locking it loudly.

I was numb. I did not even know what I was thinking, but soon I pulled a small slip of paper out of my bag and went to the phone, hands shaking as I dialed. The phone rang twice.

"Hello?" Cole's deep voice asked. I said nothing. "Hello?" He asked again and then paused for a moment, "Selene? Selene is that you?"

I hung up the phone quickly, curling up into a ball and wrapping my large purple quilt over my body. Onyx, as if by instinct that something was wrong, curled up next to me. I glanced up at the clock on my wall to see that it was only three in the afternoon, but I did not care. I knew I would be too nervous to get any sleep that night so I took advantage of how tired I was then.

I heard a gentle tapping at the door. "Selene?" Someone tried to turn the knob, but the lock held true to its job and the person at the other end could not enter. I shut my eyes and let myself drift, not caring who was at the door, though I was sure I knew.

When I woke, I saw that the clock read two. _Huh? That's not right, it was just three when I looked at the clock before, and how could time have gone backwards? _That is when I realized it. I looked outside and saw it was dark out. It was two in the morning. I had slept for nearly eleven hours. I got up, my muscles felt tight and my head was heavy.

I decided to go down to the kitchen for something to eat. I hadn't had any lunch or dinner and though I still was not hungry, I thought it best to try and make myself eat something.

The one thing I did like about this home was the refrigerator was always stocked; from gourmet leftovers, to expensive cold cuts that made the best sandwiches and of course the practical things like fruit, yogurt and tons of things to drink.

I started out only wanting a turkey sandwich, but as I pulled that out I could not control myself from grabbing other things; roast beef, cheese, mustard, mayo, pickles, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and some spinach. I formed a massive sandwich on a large sub roll and set it in the toaster to warm it up a little. While it heated I grabbed an apple, chips, and a huge bottle of water. _I guess I'm hungrier than I thought._

I settled down at the counter with my midnight snack, taking a huge bite out of the sandwich I was very proud of. I heard the soft pat of footsteps become louder and louder as they came right into the kitchen.

Uncle Matthew appeared; he halted in his steps as he saw me. We did nothing but stare at the other for a long moment. I set my sandwich down and wiped my hands and lips with a napkin, then picked up my things and left to eat back in my room.

"I just wanted a drink of water; you don't have to leave if you don't want to." He said. I thought for a moment then I took my things back to the counter and sat in the seat farthest away from him. He looked uncomfortable as he filled a glass with cold water and sipped it at the sink, staring out the window as he did.

Meanwhile, I greedily wolfed down my food, finishing it far before he was done with his water. Normally I would have washed the things myself, but instead I loaded it into the dishwasher, knowing it would get cleaned later. "Selene." He said, as I brushed up the stairs.

"The escort will be here in a few hours, I should get ready." I did not wait for him to say more.

I had decided to wear my conservative, blue button down dress with a black sweater, and black ballet flats. I waited outside for the escort to come while Matthew got ready himself.

The escort pulled up in a black escalade, and got out long enough to open the door for me to get inside the car. I took a deep breath as I slid in the back seat. He shut it tight and drove to Elder Hall, silence rang in the car.

The sun had not even risen yet, though it was easy to tell that it would very soon, the sky had lightened, and the birds flitted out of their nests in search for their breakfast. I was regretting my choice of meals that I had had a few hours ago. My stomach was starting to twist with nerves. Uncle Matthew was following behind us. His letter, which I found by accident while I was grabbing my sweater from the coat closet, basically said that he was also needed at the Elder Hall, but that due to recent events he should go separately from me. I would find out later that both of our letters were changed at the last moment; so that way we could go separately from each other as a result of him hitting me.

Elder Hall, much to my surprise was in an underground facility of one of the town buildings. Not just any facility though, The Teahouse. "Sir?" I asked the man who led me into The Teahouse; and through a secret passage way that I had never come across.

"Yes Miss Hayward?" He asked not looking back at me.

"If The Teahouse is above Elder Hall, then why has this place been sold to humans?" I asked him. _Ira is a vampire, she would have had to have been told that The Teahouse was over Elder Hall, and she would not have sold it to humans knowing that right? It could expose us._

"Ira was unaware of Elder Hall being under The Teahouse." He said. "You have not lived here long, so you don't know that Ira co-owned this place with her mother who knew about the Hall but never told her daughter, it just did not come up, Elder Hall is rarely used."

"But then how is it people meet in Elder Hall to get the Elders approval of marriage?"

"The Elders don't meet in Elder Hall for marriages unless there is an objection, or at least that is the policy that they have arranged. When a proposal is made, they will go to the home of the potential bride and meet with the families to approve of the marriage. Other than that the Hall is only used for serious vampire crimes; which are few and far between. As far as it being sold to humans, Ira's mother left this place to Ira a couple of years before you arrived, again forgetting to mention Elder Hall. Ira then sold it to humans by accident, because she did not know the truth."

We walked down a dim hallway toward a pair of mahogany doors. "So what are the Elders going to do about getting this place back to vampires?" I was surprised by my bold questioning, but I had given up be inhibited, at least for now.

"That's not your concern Miss Hayward." He said, finally looking at me. He opened the door and I stepped inside. _Maybe that is why Cole is trying to buy it back. It might be an assignment from his great grandfather._

Elder Hall was beautiful, since it was underground there were no real windows, but the walls still had stained glass panes with elaborate colors and kaleidoscope patterns. Gorgeous tapestries stretched from floor to ceiling that were embellished with mythical creatures like dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns with eagle wings. The wood flooring was a cherry red that was spotlessly clean.

Other than that the room resembled a courtroom. Bench seats stretched out on either side of a center path that led to two big tables, one on the far left and the other on the far right which face a high pulpit-like desk, where all five Elders sat tall. I knew all of them were at the very least over a century old, but not a single one looked over the age of forty. Cole sat in the seat toward the right; I waited to be instructed as to where to sit.

"Miss Hayward." The center seated Elder acknowledged. "You may choose any seat in either pew in the front; your uncle will sit at this table toward your left."

"Thank you Elder Malcolm." I had not ever seen the Elders in person, but I did know each face and which name went with it.

Elder Malcolm was Head Elder, he was followed by Elder Jones; Cole's great grandfather, Elder Victor, Elder Henry, and Elder Richard. They would all pass their legacies to their descendents when they felt they were ready to retire; their descendents, should they accept the duty would take whatever position was left behind, meaning that if Elder Malcolm gave his position to his son, his son would be Head Elder rather than be the low man on the totem pole.

Uncle Matthew stepped in just as I sat; he gave me a side glance and flashed a quick glare to Cole as he obediently took his seat toward the left of the room. Elder Malcolm stood up tall. The other Elders as well as Cole and Uncle Matthew gave him full attention.

"We call this meeting to order. Cole Jackson Wilshire, you have asked Matthew James Hayward for permission to wed his niece Selene Rose Hayward. He had rejected your request and you have come to us to override his decision. Is this correct?"

"Yes Elder Malcolm." Cole confirmed.

"Mr. Matthew Hayward is it correct that you decline his request?"

"Yes Elder Malcolm." Uncle Matthew said through gritted teeth. Though he looked poised in his chair I could see his hands gripping the edge of the table in frustration and anger.

"Is it also correct that you are in fact her sole caretaker?" Elder Malcolm asked.

"Yes Elder Malcolm." Elder Malcolm nodded and sat back down in his chair.

"As you know," Elder Henry began. "The decision has already been made by the five of us, a decision I might add that we have come up with unanimously and that we feel is fair." The other Elders nodded in approval, I looked at Cole's great grandfather Elder Jones, who looked a little uncomfortable with the decision, but nonetheless did not speak up against it. "However, we will ask a few more things to make sure that we wish to continue with the decision."

"Mr. Matthew Hayward on what grounds do you decline Mr. Cole Wilshire's request?" Elder Malcolm asked.

"On the grounds that Cole Wilshire is a dangerous man who I might add has never spoken as much as four words to Selene when he asked me for her hand. I have reason to believe his actions are less than pure." He answered.

"Mr. Wilshire what have you to say about his accusations?" Elder Victor asked. The Elders were steadily writing notes in front of them.

"I say that Mr. Hayward is unaware of anything that concerns his niece, and he certainly does not know me, he cannot fairly judge my intentions." Cole responded smoothly.

A few Elders whispered things to one another.

"Mr. Wilshire how do you plan on caring for Miss Hayward?" Elder Victor asked.

"I plan on showing her respect and courtesy, showering her with all the love and warmth I can. She is a special young woman who deserves to be treated like a queen."

"Mr. Hayward." Elder Victor said, not responding to Cole's comment. "Do you think you treat her better than Cole could, keeping in mind the reports given to us by other families?"

"I am not perfect," Uncle Matthew said. "And I have made my share of mistakes, but I know she is safer with me than with Cole Wilshire."

The Elders nodded again and then looked to Elder Richard who looked at me.

"Miss Hayward." Elder Richard said looking toward me.

I stood up tall and bowed my head slightly. "Yes Elder Richard."

"In the past we have not dealt with such a tough case of a caretaker depriving a man for the hand of a young lady. As a matter of fact, since my reign as Elder, which has been well over fifty years, I have never seen it. That being said these four men and I have come up with a bit of a different solution." He paused for a moment. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. "Miss Hayward, we are concerned over Cole's intentions on marrying you but we are also concerned over your safety and well being if you remain with your uncle." I nodded, looking over at Uncle Matthew who looked down at his desk in slight shame. Regardless, I still held true in my mind that no matter what happened I would not return home with my uncle, but the Elders did not need to know that. "That being said; Elder Malcolm." He motioned his hand for Elder Malcolm to finish.

"Thank you Elder Richard." He said, rising again. "Selene Rose Hayward, in the decision on whether or not Cole Wilshire shall have your hand in marriage, against your Uncle Matthew Hayward's request, we have decided…that the decision should be yours."

I looked at him in shock. My gaze when to Cole and then to Matthew to see they had faces which matched mine.

"Elder Malcolm?" I asked, confused.

"We think it is the best choice. Though I do regret to tell you that you must decide now. I apologize for not giving you more time to think it over, but the Elders would like to wash their hands of this situation. What is your decision?"

"I…"


	12. Another Visit

**Chapter 12-Another Visit**

_Cole_

I had known from the moment I walked in here and saw great grandfather Jones's face that something was awry. However, there was no way I could anticipate this twist. For the first time in the history of our world, the woman was given the choice to deny or accept a proposal.

"I…" Selene's voice quavered. She looked directly at Elder Malcolm as she processed everything that he had just said to her. She looked frightened by having to choose at first, her eyes wide and confused. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, she exhaled deeply and looked into the eyes of each individual Elder, one at a time. She did not bother looking at me or Matthew. She nodded her head once and then spoke.

I watched her carefully waiting for her answer. My hands were folded together, grasping each other so tightly that I looked down for just a moment to see that my knuckles were white with strain. My throat suddenly seemed to be very hoarse and my lips felt dry.

"I choose to accept the proposal of Cole Wilshire." She nodded again and then elegantly sat down without being told to do so. Her tiny hands folded neatly in her lap and her face seemed as though she was more than sure of the choice she had just made. She sat as tall as she could with her shoulders square as she looked on to each of the Elders waiting for them to proceed with the meeting. _She chose me. She chose to be with me. _I feared that the moment they gave her the choice was the moment I lost the advantage, but I see I was wrong.

I looked toward Matthew who stared at her; several expressions occupied his face; confusion, hurt and even a little admiration. He was just as surprise as I was about her answer.

The Elders looked astounded as well; I could tell most were sure she would decline. Elder Victor opened his mouth to speak. "Miss Hayward, if I may ask, what led you to your decision?" His brows furrowed together as he awaited her answer.

"I'm begging your pardon sir, but I think in all fairness that what led me to my decision should remain with me. I was not told as to why Cole Wilshire wanted me as his wife; therefore no one should know why I wanted Cole Wilshire as _my _husband. With all due respect, Elder Victor." Little Selene never failed to surprise me. She could barely utter two words to the boys and girls in her class whom she has known for years because she was so shy and self conscious, yet here she sat in front of an Elder, completely unafraid of the words that came out of her mouth. _I will never be bored with Selene._

A smile played on Elder Victor's lips. "Yes I suppose that it is fair my dear." He said warmheartedly.

Elder Malcolm rose from his chair. "Miss Hayward you may be excused. The same escort who brought you here will take you to your suite at White Waters Inn, the things you need should already be there, and everything else is at the Wilshire Manor. The ceremony is tomorrow evening." She rose, bowed her head once and swiftly left the room. She reminded me of a gazelle walking to the watering hole; calm, demure, and regal. Just before she pushed the heavy doors open to let herself out she cast a glance over her shoulder, her eyes connecting with mine. By instinct I stood up straight in my chair, raising a single eyebrow to her as if to ask. _Do you take pleasure out of keeping me guessing? _But just as quickly as she had looked over her shoulder she turned her head back and focused to her path ahead of her them completely disappeared from sight.

Matthew pounded his fists on the desk he sat at and swore. He stood up in a huge huff, his face red with anger. I leaned back in my chair amused. "This isn't right!" He exclaimed. "Selene and I got into a fight last night and that is why she said what she said. She based her decision out of anger toward me and nothing more. I demand that this be given more time!"

Elder Malcolm who was still standing slowly turned his head toward Matthew, his eyes flat. "Sit down." His voice came out deep and filled with authority. "First and foremost Matthew, you have no right to demand anything from the Elders, I suggest you remember that while you put yourself back in your place. And secondly, we were positive that Selene would be more that capable of determining what was best for her and the five of us accept her decision. This is what she wanted, something neither of you had in mind." He said turning to me, I straightened up once again. "Both of you had one thing in mind when it came to Selene and it was what _you_ wanted, not what she wanted." _Like Hell, I wanted to be with her to protect her and nurture her like she deserves. _I thought, but I kept my mouth shut. "Now Matthew," Elder Malcolm shifted his head back the other way. "You are free to go home. I will send Cole out once we get word that you are home so as to avoid a confrontation between the two of you. I suggest that while you are on your way home, you figure out a way to handle your temper better. Go." Matthew's jaw tightened and his lips went in a thin line. He left the room, straightening the lapels of his custom made suit he strode out trying to remain as dignified as he could.

When he left I leaned back in my chair, hands crossed over my chest. I knew why I was last to leave. Great grandfather Jones had said that I would get his chair upon my marriage to Selene, should it happen. Now that it was set in stone that Selene was to be my wife, the Elder Chair would, as promised be officially offered to me. Not that I particularly cared. I only agreed to take the chair because I felt it was my obligation to honor my family. In all honesty the only thing I wanted I now had. _Selene._

Great grandfather Jones stood. "Cole, I know I discussed that should Selene be promised to you in marriage that you would get my chair." I nodded. "However we have found that at this time I am unable to allow you the position." The five Elders had all shifted their gazes to me. They all looked rather uncomfortable, acting as though I would carry on in anger over the broken promise.

I hid my indifference and raised a question. "What happened to cause this change?"

"One of our own was found dead." He said mutely. "He was killed by a hunter."

"What?" Genuine shock filled my mind and my voice. "Who? Who was killed?"

"A man who resided in the Florida Keyes." He continued. "He was one of the older vampires, about two hundred years in age. He was found staked in his home."

"Not to sound at all callous, but random vampire attacks are not unheard of. Selene's grandparents were killed years ago; know one acted too much on that. What is so different about this man?" I asked. It wasn't that I didn't care, but the occasional vampire staking happened. A vampire would get to close to a human and trust them far too much, and then they would be killed. Humans could not handle our kind. We challenged everything they believed, and we took away their power of feeling at the top of the food chain.

"There was a note found with his body." Elder Henry answered. He pulled out a scroll and read it. "It says; 'There is more to come. I know what you all are, who you are and where you live. I'm coming for you.'" A chill filled the room, dead silence made the grand Elder Hall seem eerie. Suddenly the entire world had changed in mere moments, we were not safe anymore, and if these threats and accusations were true we were all in danger. Even Selene. If anyone ever hurt her I would kill them, I would rip them apart limb from limb, I would…

"What is it you need me to do?" I asked.

"Nothing, for now." Great grandfather Jones said. "Your current obligations are to your future wife; see to it that you protect her. If the killer knows what he says he does, then he knows about all of us here in White Waters and he will start coming after us."

"Are you going to tell the others?" I asked. There must be two hundred vampires in White Waters. They had to know what was going on, they needed to be on guard. "You cannot let our kind walk around blindly thinking that their families are safe here."

"In time, Cole." He answered. "We are investigating to see if we can find the culprit before he kills again. Besides, for all we know he only wrote the note to scare us and make us think that he was on to us. It could just be a bluff."

"But it could be true too." I pointed out, becoming very frustrated. _How can they be so calm about this? _

"You may be dismissed Cole." Elder Malcolm said, ending the conversation. "Go now, your wedding day is tomorrow." I stood but I did not leave. I scanned the eyes of each Elder member. They kept their expressions flat, clearly freezing me out of further conversations. I tightened my jaw and walked out of Elder Hall, I needed to get my mind off things. I quickly got into my car and went into a different direction from home.

The light to the room was faint. I could see her form in silhouette from the curtain that covered the open window. I looked around to make sure that I was alone. I was. I leapt gracefully into the air and steadied myself on the balcony of the window. I took a few steps closer so as to be able to ease my way into the room. I felt the rush of wind beside me and could hear the soft heartbeat of a young woman behind me. I turned effortlessly and place my hands behind my back.

"Hello Selene." I smiled at her. She sat perched on the railings of the balcony. Her face looked like a statue carved from stone; perfect in its symmetry and utterly beautiful.

"You're not supposed to be here." She mused. "You are not supposed to see me until tomorrow at the ceremony."

"I'm a rebel." I told her stepping a little closer. She hopped down from the railing and slid further away from me, she turned her head to look out at the view of the creek which ran wide by the inn. "You surprised me today." I told. I tilted my head to the side in amusement as she smiled to herself.

"I surprised me." She said. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and played with the end of it, twirling it to and fro with the tips of her fingers. I gently took her hand and kissed the back of it. Her eyes gazed up at me. She looked so lost, like a small child who was separated from its mother. I knew what she wanted. She wanted a real home and a family that loved her. "You're not supposed to be here." She breathed, still grinning a little.

"Are you going to tell on me?" I joked with her.

Her smile widened. "That depends."

"On what?"

"On why you came here to see me." Her eyebrows arched in curiosity as she nibbled the corner of her mouth.

"I just came by for a moment." I admitted. I pulled out a purple box from inside my coat pocket. "I came to give you this." I handed it to her.

She took it from me, inquisitiveness never leaving her face. "This is the box you picked up at The Teahouse." She examined the box without opening it.

"That would be correct." I confirmed, wringing my hands together as I anticipated her reaction to the gift. She would get the second gift tomorrow, but I wanted her to have this one tonight, I thought she needed it.

She opened it slowly. The silver locket on the long chain shined on her face. She touched it with the tip of her finger as though it was made of glass. "Open the locket." I whispered. She obeyed, and unclasped the locket with her fingers. She gasped at the pictures inside, her hand covering her mouth.

"These pictures…" she began. "These are pictures of…" Tears filled her eyes and her breath came out jagged as she tried to even it, but her emotions got the better of her.

"Your parents." I finished. The locket held a picture of her mother on the left and her father on the right, both smiling widely. You could see the traits Selene had gotten from both of them. She had her mother's eyes that much was obvious, and her face shape was the same as her mother's too, but her coloring was her father's as was her brilliant smile. That is when she allowed herself to not be too shy to smile

"How…how did you…" She gasped continuing to try to calm herself but failing miserably.

I wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "I pulled some strings. Do you like it?"

She nodded furiously. "It's beautiful. Thank you Cole." She said, finally managing to catch her breath. Her hands shook as she took her present from its box. She tried to fight the clasp of the chain open.

"Allow me." I took the necklace from her and unlocked the chain and then swung it around her creamy neck. She held her hair as I secured the clasp and let the locket fall into place on top of her chest. My fingers lingered a little longer than necessary along her collar bone. She did not seem to mind. I then dropped my hands to my sides as she turned to face me.

"I should leave now." I leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams Selene." I said as I turned to leave.

"Onyx" She said.

"What?"

"My cat." She repeated. She slipped back inside the hotel room and brought the small black bundle out. "Could you take him home with you please? I mean, they brought him here but they didn't leave any of his food or toys or anything and I was wondering if you could…"

"It would be my pleasure." I tenderly took the cat from her arms and laid him against my chest. He nuzzled my neck and licked my cheek with his rough tongue. "He's sweet; he must take after his owner."

"He seems to like you." She said bashfully, embarrassed of the compliment and trying to shift the subject.

"I hope his owner does too."

With that she patted her cat on the head and went inside, shutting the window, closing the blinds and then finally turning out the light.


	13. Good Night Selene

**Chapter 13-Good Night Selene**

_Selene_

I sat flat on the floor of my hotel suite. My legs were outstretched and spread far apart as I slumped forward and sighed heavily. The Elders had their wives send me an assortment of things that I would need for the wedding this evening. I was currently staring at fifty white wedding dresses, forty eight cream wedding dresses, thirty nine sets of undergarments that were more for the honeymoon than the actual wedding, sixty pairs of shoes, forty veils, twenty two head band, twelve different wedding bands for the groom and a catalogue with different flower bouquet arrangements. _And a partridge in a pear tree. _The Elders wives had sent me a note along with these items specifying exactly how things would happen from this moment until the moment I married Cole. I picked the note that was lying on the floor next to me and reread it, hoping that somehow I would have some clarity on even where to begin in choosing something appropriate.

_Selene Hayward,_

_Do to the circumstance, we, the wives of the Elders have found things for you for your big day this evening. You have several things to choose from; dresses veils, rings, flowers, shoes and so on and so forth._

_If you find that none of these things are to your liking please contact us with the phone numbers on the following page. _

_Someone will be by at two in the afternoon to pick up discarded or unwanted items as well as the remainder of your things to be taken to Wilshire Manor. _

_You will then have the option of having a hairdresser, make-up artist and dress maid to assist you. An escort shall come for you at five for the wedding ceremony. _

_We wish you the very best._

_Angela Boroughs wife of Elder Malcolm Boroughs Mary Wilshire wife of Elder Jones Wilshire Carrie Edward wife of Elder Henry Edward Arianna Carter wife of Elder Victor Carter Pheona Golly wife of Elder Richard Golly_

_Where do I even begi_n? I got up from the floor and began flipping through dress after dress. I looked at each dress finding and excuse to hate them all. _Two fluffy, really too fluffy, too flowery…if that's even a word, too much lace, too low cut, too boxy…ugh. _None of these were right. I went through five racks already wishing for a sign of what would be best. _Of what he would like best. _I shuddered at how I was becoming more and more concerned of how Cole saw me.

A knock at the door made me jump from where I stood.

I tiptoed over to the door and peeked through the peephole to see a young man, no more than twenty standing there with a large box, anxiously bouncing his leg up and down in impatience. I opened it slowly, and then creaked my head through the crack in the door. "Can I help you?" I asked softly.

"Are you Selene?" He asked. I could tell by his clothes that he worked for some delivery company. His flat green eyes darted all over the place and he sounded out of breath.

"Yes."

"This is for you." He handed me the box as well as a clipboard for me to sign. I wriggled out my signature realizing that this would be the last time I would ever sign anything as Selene Hayward.

"Thank you." I said. He nodded and rapidly paced down the stairs to his big blue delivery truck. I closed the door and set the box on the end of the bed. The package was wrapped in gold with a deep blue satin ribbon tied into a perfect bow. I pulled off the wrappings and opened the box carefully. The parcel was further wrapped in tissue paper, and a small note lay flat on top. I decided to open the note first; I pulled out an expensive looking piece of parchment with familiar elegant black script written on it.

_Perhaps this will be more to your liking._

Slightly confused I riffled through some of the tissue paper to see that there was a wedding gown inside. I gently took it out to see that it was the most beautiful dress I had even seen. I undressed from my sweats and slipped the dress on over my body adjusting it slightly over my hips and chest so that it hung just right. As I did I noticed how soft and supple it felt against my skin. It fit like a glove accentuating my attributes while still being very modest. The ivory colored dress reached long to the top of my feet, with a V shaped neckline that showed just a smidge of the top of my breasts, and it had lace capped sleeves that gave the dress the perfect amount of frill. I still wore the silver locket that Cole had given me; it was the perfect accessory to the dress, dangling just right along the front of me. _This is my dress, this is my wedding dress._

After that everything else seemed to fall into place. I chose a pair of satin flats that were the same shade of ivory; a bouquet of gorgeous cream colored roses from the catalogue caught my attention as I tore the page out and circled it for the Elders' wives to prepare for me. I opted not to wear a veil or a headband and I also decided I would also prefer not to have a hairstylist or makeup artist come in to help me prepare. Everything was perfect just as it was. As I realized that my stomach began to turn with nerves.

I cleaned up the entire room to keep myself busy. I moved all the unwanted wedding things to one side of the room and then packed all of my things in the overnight bags that had been brought for me for the previous evening.

The box with the dress lay on the bed and I grabbed it to put with my bags so I could save the dress later. As I did though, I heard something small yet heavy slide around in the package. I removed the rest of the tissue paper out and saw something slightly familiar. A purple velvet box, the size of a ring box set there with intent to be opened. _What other surprises do you have for me Mr. Wilshire? _I opened it. A sparkling engagement ring was inside with yet another small note.

_Please forgive me for not giving you a proper proposal. I hope to be able to make up for it. I am quite looking forward to this evening. See you soon my angel. Au revoir._

As expected, the silver solitaire ring with the round cut diamond fit my finger perfectly. The look was complete. I was a bride.

I looked at myself in the full length mirror that the Elders' wives had sent with the other things. I could see in my own eyes that I was afraid. I was afraid of how life was going to be with Cole, I was afraid for how I felt about Cole, which was a feeling I still had yet to put my finger on. I feared everything humanly possible. Yet at the same time I never felt surer about the decision I made. I was just as much excited as I was afraid. _I am ready for this. I needed this. I am really doing this. I am really getting married today. Oh my word._

Hours later, five gorgeous women, who I could only assume were the Elders' wives walked in. Behind them, were about four to six men that all hurriedly removed all the unwanted gowns and such out of the hotel room.

"I don't recall seeing this dress when we chose the gowns." One they said surveying me in my dress.

"This was a gift ma'am. I thought it suited me best." I played with the fabric a little.

"I see." She said looking down at me from her nose.

"Selene darling." Another said to me. "I'm Mary Wilshire Cole's grandmother."

"It is a pleasure ma'am."

"We have something we need you to decide upon."

"Yes ma'am?"

"We want to know if you would want your Uncle Matthew at the ceremony." Mrs. Wilshire asked.

"At the wedding?"

"Yes at the wedding." The first woman said impatiently.

"Oh hush Arianna. Well dear what do you say? We must know now."

I thought carefully. _What's the worst that could happen? There is nothing he can say or do other than just watch. _"It would be more than fine ma'am." I said. _I hoped it would._

_Selene_

I waited in a small separate room from the main hall waiting to be summoned. The wedding was to be held in Elder Hall.

Elder Jones' wife, Cole's great grandmother Mary Wilshire came in. Her royal blue gown was very elegant against her pale skin, and contrasted with her raven hair and red lips. "They're ready for you." I nodded and followed her to the entrance of the main hall. I stopped at the head of the entrance in shock. The room was filled with people; Ira, Valerie and her family, all the vampire families in White Waters were stuffed into the seats of Elder Hall. _Why didn't anyone tell me that they would be here? I had no idea that these people were all going to be watching me. _

I felt myself lose my breath even more, a pain in my lungs informed me that I had begun to truly panic. The room was too hot, candles in every sconce and pathway shone brightly. The scent of rose petals that lined the isle filled my nose so much that their sweet smell had become putrid. I had my bouquet of roses grasped firmly in my hands, the ring that Cole had given me felt like a huge weight pulling me down to the Earth's core. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see straight. I looked passed the people toward the path ahead of me. Cole was dressed in a black suite and black button down shirt opened slightly at the top, no tie. His disheveled hair went unfixed, though I could tell that he had shaved this morning, but the dark shadow across his jaw and cheeks was beginning to return already. He smiled at me and I suddenly lost fear. And then began to feel something different.

_Valerie_

I sighed as I sat next to my mother. She picked at her gloves adjusting them just right on her hand not even bothering to look back at Selene. She was under the impression that no one was as interesting as she was. _And they say I'm conceded. _I turned my head back to look at Selene, deliberately flipping my auburn hair to Alexander Pruitt in the process; he was twenty two, in college planning to become a lawyer. I smiled at him coyly ignoring my boyfriend Michael who was currently drooling over Selene. I admit she did look beautiful; but she was so odd. She would rather have her nose in a book than go to one of the many parties held the White Waters Bar and Grill, and she was always so withdrawn. _What the Hell is there to be so timid about? We are vampires; elite, powerful, stunning—she should flaunt it not hide it. Whatever. And Cole—I can't believe she is marrying Cole Wilshire. _I swear when I heard about how he could have been involved in that girl's murder I thought he was a total freak. _But he is still so sexy. God will she just hurry up already and walk down the damn isle I have better things to do. _

_Ira_

_Poor, sweet Selene. I hope she knows what she is getting herself into. She is just a child. Why do I have a feeling she is just doing this to feel loved by someone? That damn uncle of hers. _I looked back at her. She stood there, for a moment I had thought that she was going to run. But then something happened. She looked at Cole and then Elder Malcolm who nodded her forward, her body suddenly becoming composed, as though she knew exactly what she was doing. She walked along the isle; the expression on her face was quite interesting. She looked at Cole with the upmost awe and intrigue, like she was mesmerized by him.

_Matthew_

She looked every bit as beautiful as her mother; Rose. From the glint in her eyes to the shape of her cheek bones I could see every bit of Rose's gentleness and grace in Selene. _Oh Rose, if you knew of the mess I had made you would never forgive me. _

I remembered the time I heard of Rose and Max's death, that very moment I vowed that I would care for Selene, for Rose at the very least. I had loved Rose so much but my brother had won her heart instead. _My arrogant, sarcastic, and wild brother with no goals in life but to fly by the seat of his pants and hope to not fall flat on his face. _As boys we had been close, and I had admired his free spirit, but as adults it grew tiring. Rose had always been more like me; focused, determined, with the power to take on the world, but she could not escape Max's allure.

I had tried to raise Selene to be good and proper, but I saw her slight tendencies to not fight for the best. She was smart and successful in school but she was too content with simplicity and living an average life. I tried to push her, I tried to get her on the right track; but I failed miserably. I made her doubt her potential. I made her think I didn't care. I did care about her, I loved her; she is the only family I have. _I should have told her that from the beginning, I shouldn't have been so hard on her. She has the Hayward inner strength but it doesn't burn brightly. Her heart is too fragile, she is too sensitive. Oh Selene, I am so sorry. This is my entire fault._

She walked toward _him. _I wanted to tear out Cole's throat for doing this. He wants Selene for heaven knows what; lust, status, maybe even boredom. He will be the end of her. That sick, sadistic menace!

Selene was with him now, standing face to face with Cole with Elder Malcolm holding the Marriage Scroll which held the traditional vows for our kind.

_Cole_

I had never seen a more beautiful woman in my entire life.

_Selene_

Cole took my hands into his, squeezing them carefully. Elder Malcolm cleared his throat, causing the trickle of murmurs throughout the hall to stop.

"We are gathered to here to witness and accept the marriage of Cole Jackson Wilshire to Selene Rose Hayward. These two are about to be bonded in one of the most powerful relations of our world…"

His words had no affect on me. I could not here a single thing he said. It was a though he spoke an entirely different language from my own. Cole looked at me carefully. His eyes were filled with such excitement that I was curious as to what was going on in his mind.I could feel the energy of his body wrap tightly around me. He wanted this, he really wanted this, wanted me and he wanted me to want him just as badly. But was I ready for Cole. _That's really something I should have thought about before I accepted his proposal. _

"Selene." The sound of my name snapped me back into reality. I looked to Elder Malcolm. "Selene, please place the wedding band on Cole's finger and repeat after me." I did as he was told and put the silver band on Cole's long graceful finger. "I do so solemnly swear to be good to my husband, to respect my husband and to follow him with every decision he makes."

"I do so solemnly swear to be good to my husband, to respect my husband and to follow him with every decision he makes." I repeated obediently.

"Cole, place the ring on Selene's finger and repeat after me." Cole slid on a silver band that matched the one I got for him identically. I smiled in spite of myself. "I do so solemnly swear to be good to my wife, to respect my wife, and to protect her from any harm that my come her way."

"I do so solemnly swear to be good to my wife, to respect my wife and to protect her from any harm that may come her way." He repeated. "_And _to follow her with every decision she makes." A few gasps spread throughout. He had deliberately changed the end of the vows to put myself on equal ground with him. The vow 'to follow him with every decision he makes' was an underlying way that the Elders of the past created to make the wives agree to being obedient to their husbands without having to _say _so in such blunt of words. But Cole had just promised to be as obedient to me as I was to be to him. _Wow. _Elder Malcolm looked less than please but he said nothing.

"Your hands please." He said. Cole and I each extended our hands with our wedding rings out. Elder Malcolm handed Cole a dagger. Cole took it from him and then gently made a small cut in my hand; I winced a little but then quickly did the same to him before my hand healed. We pressed out cut and bleeding hands together, sealing our fates as one. Elder Malcolm took back the dagger and placed it in his belt. "Without further or due I now pronounce them Mr. and Mrs. Cole Wilshire." Polite claps filled the room as Cole closed his eyes to kiss my forehead. He took my hands in his and kissed the tops of them. "You two may depart."

I looked at Cole who nodded to me and led me out the door.

_I am married. I am actually married._

"Are you able to breathe now?" He asked as we exited through The Teahouse.

"I think so."

He and I were at his car in no time. The entire town was quiet and disserted; it was much too late at night for anyone to be out. The wind picked up as Cole opened the car door for me, sending a chill through the air and causing the trees to sway in the wind. I froze a little.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

"Yes." I confirmed, feeling a little doubtful as I sat inside the car.

The car ride was quiet. Neither of us said a single word to another. I peeked over to him; he looked over to me through the corner of his eye and grinned. I snapped my head back in front looking at the winding road feeling slightly embarrassed. He let out a low chuckle.

A single light from his home greeted us.

Cole took my hand and we walked together to the front door. Before he opened it he leaned into my ear. This time was different from all the other times he whispered in my ear. He was less inhibited, less gentle. An arm wrapped around my waist, almost a little too roughly and his lips were pressed incredibly close; I felt his cool breath against me. "Welcome home my love." He said huskily. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me across the threshold. Kicking the door behind him and then switching the latch shut Cole continued to hold my in his arms.

He led me all the way up the stairs to a room at the end of the hall.

His room was the ultimate in luxury. The only light thing I there was cream colored walls and carpet. Everything else; from the heavy curtains, to the large bed, the furniture and the iron chandelier that hung from the ceiling were all black and deep crimson. "Like it?" He asked placing me on my feet.

He pulled me to his body and slipped my hair back from my neck. He kissed the line of my jaw repeatedly, throwing his jacket onto the floor. His breathing was heavy and I saw another glimpse of his eyes. This time I knew exactly what they held. Pure lust.

_I forgot about this part. I don't want this part. Stop._

He kissed my neck, his fingers tracing the skin along the neckline of my dress. I felt every muscle he had against me. He skimmed his nose upward along my throat kissing my chin, he put his lips right on mine but he did not kissed me yet. _No. Don't. _He breathed even more heavily. I thought my heart would pound out of my chest.

"I think it's been a long night don't you?" He asked. I nodded. He smiled. "Let's get some sleep shall we?" He let go of me and peeled off his shirt and pants, remaining only in his boxers. He fumbled with something under his bed. I saw him slip on his tank and sweats. I took my dress off, trying to stay in shadows so it would be harder for him to see me. All I had under my dress was a slip dress that went to mid thigh and had thin spaghetti straps. "Here" he said. He handed me his button down shirt to put over me. "It's a little cold with just that, yes?" I could hear from his voice that he wanted to be sincere, but I couldn't help but notice as his eyes wandered hungrily over my body.

"Thank you." I through it over my shoulders and got into bed as quick as lightening, shutting my eyes so I could force myself asleep. He got in after me and kissed my temple.

"Good night Selene."


	14. Burnt Bridges and Frustrations

**Chapter 14-Burnt Bridges and Frustrations**

_Selene_

_I was driving. I twisted down a road that twisted and turned on a cliff near the water. Something dark flashed passed the window and halted in front of the car. Cole. He smiled evilly as I swerved to avoid him, but in doing so if caused the car to dive off the cliff and straight into the water. I unbuckled my seatbelt and tried to open the door to leap out, but as I turned the knob I got the feeling that someone was holding the car door shut. I looked over and saw Cole again, pushing the door closed tight as he hung from the outside of the car. The car divulged into the water and Cole leaped out of sight. I pushed the door open as hard as I could but the pressure of the water was too much. Somehow the car began to fill with water, and filled fast. Water surrounded me; it swarmed into my lungs as my vision turned black. _

_A whisper echoed into my head. "Poor baby. You should have listened to your Uncle."_

I woke up to a dim room, the remains of the dream I had spindling in my head. I could tell that it was day time, but the curtains Cole had covering the windows were so thick that it was hard to tell how far into the day it was. I turned my head to the spot next to me, Cole was not there. I rubbed my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut, the heavy engagement ring along with the wedding ring felt cool and hard against my skin.

The dream was just as intense as the ones before it, I could still feel the chill of the icy water against me, I could still see Cole's evil smile as he left me for dead. _Is that how it was for Lena? Did she die just like that? _But that was impossible, they said that her body was never found; maybe she escaped. Maybe Cole didn't kill her. _That doesn't mean he didn't try. _I had to know. I had to find something. Some kind of clue or proof on whether or not he killed her, but I needed to approach this just right. If I made him angry he could kill me.

I sat up in bed and looked around the room noticing that the door was slightly ajar.

"Cole?" I said quietly craning my neck to see if I could see anything. Nothing. I got up from the bed and began to look around really noticing the room. It was actually quite beautiful. There were paintings of landscapes and café corners all done in extravagant colors and oils. A fancy vanity, which debatably was put there for my benefit, set next to a pair of double doors. _The closet? _I opened them carefully, lights flashed on as I stepped into the huge walk in closet, clothes and shoes stacked high, perfectly in place. I migrated over to the clothes of mine that I recognized, ignoring the not so subtle additions that had been made to my new wardrobe by my husband. _My husband._

I shook off the thought and dressed into my favorite dress, it was a deep red that went down to my knees, in the softest of materials. I went back into the bedroom to loop my locket over my neck and then proceeded to explore the house.

I hadn't noticed the hallway before until this moment; it wound like a maze, almost every door shut hiding the contents of the rooms behind them. Sconces with small candles were the only source of light, and all of it reminded me of a medieval castle of some grand king. The marble floor was cold against my bare feet, something else I obviously hadn't noticed since last night I had been carried to the bedroom. I braced myself as I tried to remember which way Cole had come from when we went through here last. To my relief I did not need to go very far, I found a small staircase and followed it down to a secluded wing that was on the first floor of the house. A single door stood there, drawing me to it.

I wrapped my fingers against the door. "Cole?" I called out. There was still no answer. I tried the knob and found that the door was unlocked, looking behind me to make sure no one was there I went inside.

It was a typical office, very similar to my Uncle Matthew's. An expensive looking desk was accompanied by a high leather chair and bookcases were filled with first addition, leather bound classics. _Maybe I can find something in here. _Without thinking I began to rifle through everything; the shelves the cabinets and even his desk. I began feeling idiotic when I was searching and all I found were bills and a deed to his house, nothing overly out of place. A small photo on the wall caught my attention; so much that I felt a lump in my throat from fear.

On the wall was a tiny photograph of the bend in the road alongside a cliff overlooking the water; just like my dream. _Oh my god, it must be—no it's just a coincidence. _I touched the photo and tried to take it off the wall but as I did I noticed it was not an ordinary photo, it was one of those photos that covered a safe. The combination lock kept me from searching further, but I couldn't let it stop me. I tried twisting random combinations hoping to get lucky but it wouldn't budge. _Come on come on!_

"Looking for something?" A deep voice said, coming from the door way. I gasped and shot around seeing Cole standing there in the threshold, his expression unreadable. He held my cat Onyx in his arms, stroking his neck and scratching behind his ears as he purred loudly. _Traitor. _I thought to him. Cole walked over to me, his eyes never moving from mine for even a split second.

"I was just-I mean I was just trying…" I couldn't speak, my mind raced too quickly for what to say that the rest of me couldn't react quickly enough.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked ignoring that he had just caught me snooping. He rubbed my cheek with his thumb.

"Y-yes."

"Good." He reached behind me and twisted at the lock without even looking at it. I heard it unlatch and heard him swing it open. He titled his head to the side and looked at me even more intensely. I tried to move around him, thinking I just needed to escape somewhere, but as I tried to move passed him he side stepped in front of me. "Go ahead."

"What?"

"You wanted to see what was in there, go ahead." He said setting Onyx free on the ground and folding his hands behind his back.

"You're not angry?" I asked fiddling with my locket.

"Should I be?"

"I came in here and was trying to get into the safe." I said, trying not to incriminate myself too much, I avoided mentioning looking through the drawers and bookcase.

"The door was unlocked; you were more than welcome to come in here and explore, after all, this is your home too now." He smiled and nodded to the open safe. "Go ahead."

I turned around and looked into the safe.

It was empty.

I furrowed my eyebrows together. I felt Cole move behind me. He kissed my shoulder slowly and then rested his chin on top. He turned his head to whisper in my ear. "I never thought it was wise that great grandfather Jones put a safe there, it is much too obvious I think. Don't you?" I nodded my throat dry. "So what is it you were looking for hmm?"

I closed the safe and touched the picture. "This cliff over here by the water…"

"What about it?" His voice was soft and gentle.

"Isn't this where Lena was killed?" I asked. I spun around him looking him dead in the eye, trying to look bold and tough, but inside I was shaking. "Isn't that the exact spot where her car went over into the water, because her brakes were cut?"

"Lena, why did I anticipate she would come up?"

"What happened to her Cole?"

"What do you think happened to her, Selene?" He kept calm as the words rolled off his tongue.

"People have speculated that you killed her over some human boy Hull. That she left him for you and you got jealous and messed with their car, causing them to crash. Is it true?"

"Do you believe it to be the truth?" Out of anger I lost control and swung my arm back, slapping him hard across the face. Seconds after I did so I covered my mouth with my hand in shock. His head snapped to the side as he clenched his jaw. He rubbed it and looked at me; angrily.

He closed his eyes and then breathed heavily. Then opened them again moving his hand to hold my chin with his index finger and thumb. "You're lucky I have a soft spot for you. Had you been someone else I might have hit you back."

"No you wouldn't have." I challenged.

"Oh?"

"I don't think you would hit anyone, especially a woman. I think you just like to let people think that you would."

"You do, do you?" He leaned his head in close to mine, our faces less than six inches apart.

"Yes. I do."

"Interesting."

I pulled my chin from his hand. "You're changing the subject. What happened to her? I know you know, so don't deny anything."

"You know I think the people here have very sad lives. They are so bored with reality that they make up wildly interesting stories in their heads." He tapped my forehead with the tip of his finger. "The truth is, if there is any mystery; whether it is someone who keeps to themselves or just disappears they start spewing out accusations."

"People need answers."

"People need to mind their own business." He sighed and then backed up to lean across the desk, staring off into space. "Lena and I were good friends all through high school, good friends with constant pressures to be more than friends because of what we were and who are families were. So we tried being a couple. It was fine at first but being together affected our friendship in a terrible way. If we weren't fighting we were avoiding each other like the plague. If one of us tried to work on the relationship and make something happen the other wanted to hide away and avoid dealing with it, which made others think that our relationship was full of jealousy and anger."

"Were you in love with her?"

"No." He admitted. "Nor was she with me. But we thought that we were _supposed _to be together so we tried to pretend that we were in love at times. Then one day this human boy named Hull came and Lena fell in love with him. I was very happy for her, but of course, he was human and Lena was a vampire. She met him in secret at first, we pretended to go out together and then she would meet Hull and the two of them would enjoy their time together. However, soon enough people began to suspect. Lena wanted to run away with Hull but I told her that doing so would be too suspicious and said that I felt the Elders would go after the two of them in order to stop their love affair. The two of them would never get approval to be together so she and I devised a plan."

"A plan?"

"Together, the three of pushed tampered with the car; we packed it with things to make it look like they were running away, strategically placed hair and skin follicles to prove that both were in the car and then we pushed it into the sea; after of course I had a little fun driving it fast through the cliff side to put skid marks on the road. Once we were convinced that it would look like the two of them were killed I drove Hull and Lena to the airport to escape. Their death was investigated at first, by humans and the Elders, but both sides hit a dead end. No pun intended."

"So she's alive?"

"Very much so, and according to her last letter her and Hull just had their first child."

"A human and a vampire had a child together?" I asked.

"Yes, apparently it is possible."

"But what about her parents, they must have been so devastated that Lena just disappeared."

"They helped."

"They what?"

He smiled. "They knew their daughter was miserably forlorn with the idea of being with anyone but Hull and they believed their love was pure and very real. They agreed to help us knowing that in the end their daughter would be happy. They apparently never saw a problem with vampires and humans mingling."

"Did her parents ever defend you around town; I mean there are people here who think that you killed her."

"As far as the town is concerned I could care less what they think of me. Yes her parents defended me, which is why most people found me innocent. As far of those who think I'm guilty; it's just like I said before, people believe what they want and make up stories because it is more interesting than the truth."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"I almost prefer that they fear me. I rather enjoy my privacy and when people think that you have sinister traits they tend to leave you alone."

"Wow."

"I'm sorry if that was not the answer you were looking for." He got up from the desk and walked back over to me.

"No it's just…I'm surprised that's all." I admitted. "Why would you do all of that for her?" I asked. "I mean it's wonderful, and incredibly sweet, but I just don't understand…"

"I am a hopeless romantic." He said. "Lena meant a great deal to me; she and I were good friends who were feeling trapped by the other. Besides, I hoped so much to have what her and Hull had, I thought that by helping her that one day I would be blessed with that same kind of love." His eyes bore into mine with intent.

"Oh." _Did that look mean he felt that way about me?_

His fingers ran through my hair, stopping to play with the ends of it. "You can't always believe what people say about others Selene, sometimes they're wrong."

I boldly stepped closer to him; our bodies were inches from touching as he continued to play with my hair. "How can anyone ever know what the truth is and what silly rumors are?"

"They just have to try and trust the source." He said softly.

"How do I know that the source is trustworthy?" I whispered gazing up at him. His blazing green eyes sparkled.

"You can't know for sure I suppose." He confessed. "But if you don't…try to give that person a chance to prove himself, you'll never know what's real and what's made up."

"What if I'm afraid?" I touched the hand that was in my hair, holding it gently. "What if I don't know which story I want to be the truth?"

"You don't _have_ to be afraid." His forehead pressed against mine. "But you do have to try and take a risk; you might be surprised to find something more than fear and silly rumors about someone's behavior."

"I don't want to get hurt."

"You won't. I promise. My word is good Selene." His hand stroked my cheek now; his fingers grazed my neck gently and then traced my collar bone. Our lips were so close together now…so close…I wanted to…

_**Riiiiiiinnnngg.**_

We both jumped from the sound of the phone ringing.

Cole's jaw tightened as he answered it. "We are not supposed to be disturbed!" He blared into the phone without even asking who was on the other end.

"Can't that wait?" He said to the other person. He was silent for a moment as the other person responded.

"Well why can't you handle that for me and once the two weeks are up he and I can meet formally?" Some silence followed.

"What do you mean he insists upon it?" He sighed. "Yes I know it's important—I don't need to be told that—how long will it take then, I'm try—fine. Yes soon, yes of course. It should be just a few papers to sign and a handshake nothing more. I want another day added if this takes longer than necessary." He tapped his fingers against the desk. "Alright, yes—yes fine. Goodbye."

He hung up the phone hard causing me to jump again.

"W-what's going on?"

"It's nothing, I'll-I'll be back soon okay?" He came over to me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

"I didn't think that people were supposed to contact us during the hon-during these two weeks." I said following him out the door.

"They're not, but this is a business emergency…apparently." He answered muttering the last part. "Is there anything you want me to get for you?"

"No it's fine." I said, feeling disappointed that he was leaving. He kissed me on the cheek again, this time lingering a while longer than before. He sighed heavily, expressing the same disappointment I felt inside.

"Be home soon." He said, and then shut the door and disappeared from sight.

My head was spinning. I needed to feed.

I knew Cole had a stash from some blood supplier somewhere; I just had to find it. I riffled through the kitchen first, it was a little too obvious yes and very risky to hide your supply in if any humans ever came by, but Cole did say that he never had any visitors so maybe he did store it in here. Alas, I found nothing. _If I was a blood supply where would I be?_ A door from the corner of my eye caught my attention. I went over to it, opening it and seeing that it was a dark basement. I quickly ran down the steps of it and switched on a light that I saw at the foot of the stairs. _Score. _The room was tiny, and a large freezer was the only thing that accompanied the room. I opened it hastily and found a large supply. Quickly I grabbed a bag and opened it, sipping it as I went back up the stairs.

As if by magic, my mind cleared and my breathing evened. _Nothing makes you feel better like a little A negative._ I licked my lips to finish off the remainder of the blood. I threw the bag into the fireplace, burning all evidence of a blood bag; just in case, and then meandered around the house exploring the mysterious rooms. _Cole did say I was welcome to, I might as well at least figure out where things are._

A short while later a hard knock came from the door. _Who could that be? _I raced to the door, becoming nothing but a blur as I used my speed to get to the front door. I froze as I looked through the glass of the front door and saw Uncle Matthew standing there. _He shouldn't be here._ I opened the door and waited for him to speak.

"Hello Selene." I was surprised by how he looked. His always smooth face and perfectly in place hair was slightly ragged. He prided himself on wearing his designer suits that were tailor made whenever he went out and yet here he was in faded jeans and a gray t-shirt. _I didn't even know he owned jeans. _His hands were stuffed into his pockets making him look vulnerable. It was the first time I realized how young he really was; after all he was only thirty four, just three years younger than dad would be if he were alive.

"You're not supposed to be here."

"I know, but I saw Cole go through town about a half hour ago and I thought I could speak to you for just a moment, please?" His usually cold eyes look pained and desperate. I nodded and stepped aside to let him in. "This is a lovely home." He pointed out, wandering around before finally sitting down in the parlor. He sat; tapping is thumbs against his knees. I sat on the couch across from him.

"So…"I began, feeling uncomfortable all over again. "I don't think you came here to talk about how nice you thought the house was. What is it?" I continued trying to stay as gentle as I could.

He nodded. "A lot has been happening this past week or so Selene." _My is that how fast all of this has been going? It seems like months._ "A lot of things have been said on both our parts and a lot of things regretfully done."

"I don't regret anything I said or did." My voice was shaking. "I meant every word and gesture and I'm not sorry for it."

"I didn't say—"

"Look if you came here just to hear me say sorry or to convince me further to try and find a way to part myself from Cole you're wasting your time. This is _my _life. I may not know exactly what the outcome of my decisions may be but whatever does happen is _my _business not—"

"Selene please, allow me to finish." He said standing up. He laughed humorlessly to himself. "I guess you're more like you father than I thought."

"Don't you dare talk about him—"

"I didn't mean it insultingly. I swear." He sat again as I folded my hands in my lap, clutching them tightly together. "I didn't come here for apologies from you; you had every right to say the things you did." I looked at him in astonishment. "I have to learn to deal with the decisions you made, and my not liking your decisions have nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I should have given you more attention, I should have been kinder and gentler with you but instead I blamed you for my own pathetic bitterness that had _nothing, _I repeat _nothing_ to do with you. When I wasn't ignoring you I was trying to provide the best I could for you and push you to be the best by my standards without ever considering the kind of person you were and for that I am sorry."

_A bit of a late revelation, _I thought. "I don't know what to say."

"I am sorry Selene, you are an incredible young woman who I never got to know because of my own faults, you are the only family I really have and I pushed you away when you needed me most, I never even asked you how you were when your parents died."

Tears brimmed my eyes, threatening to spill over onto my cheeks. "It was hard. They were the only family—they were all I had then, you know?"

"I know if I could take it back, if I could change everything I would. Maybe things would be different." He moved over next to me and held my hands in his. "I do love you, you're my family and you mean a lot to me."

I simply nodded, I couldn't find words.

"That being said." He continued. "I do think that you should consider listening to me about Cole, find away to get out of this marriage and free yourself from him."

"I can't believe you." I snapped, getting up from my seat. "For a second I thought you were really sincere and then you try to pull this again." I started to walk away but the grabbed my arms and made me face him.

"You have to listen to me he's dangerous, he killed—"

"You don't know what you're talking about! He didn't kill her!"

"You believe him? Murderers who want to go free don't ever say that they are guilty, they always have some brilliant explanation."

"No! You're wrong, he was telling the truth and I believe him."

"Oh really what did he say happened then?"

"I-I can't tell you." If I did he could report it to the Elders that a human and a vampire had not only faked their death to run away and get married but that they had also had a child.

"Convenient." He huffed. "Things will be different Selene. Get out of this marriage and come to live with me again, we can get out of White Waters, even go back to your old home town, I'll send you to school and you can marry a nice man who will care for you."

"Cole cares for me, at least I think so, and I don't want to leave White Waters."

"Selene he doesn't love you!" He yelled. "I owe it to your mother and father, my brother, to take care of you."

"I am taken care of!"

"What the hell is going on? Let. Her. Go." We both snapped our heads to the side and saw Cole standing there, fists clenched eyes deadly.


	15. Wow

**Chapter 15-Wow**

_Cole_

He was standing there and yelling at her. He was standing there and yelling at her _and_ making her cry. _How dare he bother her after everything he has put her through? After her hurting her, making her feel worthless and after HITTING her. _I swore I would never let him hurt her again and I meant it. I stood there, fists clenched. "What the hell is going on? Let. Her. Go." They both jumped and looked at me. My only focus was her. Her face was tear stained and her eyes were filled with anger and fear. Matthew still held her arms tightly, his chest huffing in frustration. "Maybe you didn't hear me Matthew. Get your hands off of _my wife_."

He clenched his jaw as you released her. She backed away looking back and forth from me to him. I walked closer to where they stood to her stand in front of her protectively. Matthew's glare never left my face for a moment. "I have to give you credit Cole, I seriously underestimated you. You seem to have her wrapped around your finger believing every mundane and pathetic lie that comes out of your mouth."

"Uncle Matthew, I am perfectly capable of figuring out if people are lying. I am also very good at making my own judgments. Please stop this and trust me." She said desperately. I looked back at her to see her eyes filled with longing for her uncle to listen to her.

"I am not denying that Selene, but your young and vulnerable; something that seems to attract him to you. _Disgusting._ You don't understand, you have too much of your mother in you when it comes to always trying to find the good in people, even those who have no good in them." He said looking at me. "You think that his intentions with you are romantic and sweet but they are not. He'll use you, and then toss you away like he did Lena." Matthew spat.

I filled with rage. "How dare you." I pushed forward ready to go to blows with him, my still clenched fist rearing back to pop him right in his jaw.

"Cole don't!" Selene pleaded, grabbing my arm so I couldn't swing it. I gently pried my arm away from her and attempted to hit him again. Matthew stood there, masochistically ready for me to hit him. Stepping in my path and placing her hands on my chest. "Cole don't fight please." Rage burned inside of me. I looked back down at her, getting lost in her hazel eyes and how her hair framed her face and the light shined on the top of it like a halo, making her look angelic.

I took her hands in mine and looked at her debating on what to do. _Do I fight Matthew and make him eat his words or do I let him continue to antagonize me and upset Selene?_

"Poor Lena, too young and filled with hope in her life to ever notice what a monster she tangled herself with. I won't let you kill Selene like you killed her." Matthew continued, purposely baiting me. I prepared to leap forward again but Selene still tugged onto my shirt. She would do whatever it took to stay between me and Matthew, knowing I wouldn't attack with her in harm's way.

"Cole, please!" She begged. "Tell him what you told me, tell him what really happened and then he'll understand."

"He wouldn't believe me." I told her. "He wouldn't believe me no matter what I said." I looked back at him menacingly.

Matthew was relentless. "Selene I can help you get out now, I can find a way to get you out of this arrangement. I know you only said yes when the Elders gave you the option because of our fight and you were upset but it's okay now. He'll kill you Selene!"

She started to sob in defeat. Her hands clutching my shirt, head bowed in grief against my chest. Defeated myself, I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my chin on her shoulder. "Shh. It's alright, it's over okay? No one is going to fight." I whispered to her. I put my hands on either side of her face wiping her cheeks with my thumbs. "Okay?" She nodded and tried to regain composure. Turning she spoke to Matthew.

"Please believe me. I don't know what's going on between me and Cole but it is our business. I feel like I can trust him, far more than I could ever trust you. I'm sorry to have to say that but despite everything Cole has been nothing but kind and gentle to me. I know he would never hurt me."

Her words did not penetrate his thick skull. "Damn you Cole, you've brainwashed her!" Matthew spat. _Can this man even hear? Does he not pay attention to anyone but himself?_ "I bet he'll say anything to get you to do whatever he wants you to Selene, I am sure he pulled a number on you to coerce you last night."

"What are you talking about?" She asked him. She was far too innocent to realize what he meant. I knew _exactly_ what he meant. _To think that I could do something like that._

"Don't try and defend him, I know what is supposed to happen on a wedding night, the very thought of what he could have said or done to get you to agree is appalling. If he even did bother with that." Matthew said.

"Nothing happened." She said, finally understanding. She looked a little uncomfortable trying to evaluate and approve of her sex life.

"What?" He asked genuinely confused. _My I think something actually absorbed into his brain. _Alert the damn media.

"She didn't want to." I finished for her. "So we went to sleep." I placed my hands on Selene's shoulders and rubbed the sides of her arms. Her skin was cold and filled with goose bumps. Matthew stood there with nothing else to say. "That being said," I persisted. "You've violated vampire law Matthew. Selene and I are supposed to have two weeks undisturbed."

"I only came here because I saw that _you_ had left. I wouldn't have violated the law otherwise." He defended.

"I only left because the Elders called me to deal with an emergency, something I tried to hold off and failed at. That doesn't matter though, what matters though is the problem we have before us, and frankly I want to fix this now rather than later."

"Meaning?"

"For Selene's sake, I don't want tension between us, but that cannot happen until you let it go that she, with a fully capable and stable mind chose to be with me."

"Not until _after_ you lobbied to be with her and inexorably pursued her; following her and showing up at her work to bother her." He said, I shrugged, not wanting to circle around the same conversation further. He shook his head in the same frustration finally saying; "I don't trust you."

"And I don't trust you." I countered. "I never have and I doubt I ever will, but our animosities will not upset her again, if it does I assure you no amount of her pleading will stop me from breaking your jaw."

"Likewise." He said. "I can agree to be pleasant for Selene's sake, but that does not mean I will ever support this arrangement."

"I'm not asking you to support the arrangement." Selene said. "I am asking to support me, you owe me that much." She paused and inhaled, visibly preparing herself to say something difficult. "And I ask that you leave me alone."

"You-you what?" He asked. His face seemed hurt, and he looked like he received a sharp blow to the gut, I almost feel sorry for him. _Almost._

"I believe that you are genuine with your intentions and that you are sorry for the way you treated me under your care. For that I forgive you." Matthew's face lightened a little, so did hers. "I also understand that your dislike for my marriage to Cole is out of love and protectiveness, and believe me when I say it is appreciated, but enough is enough. I want to live my life, _my way_. I think the best solution for now is for there to be distance between us. I'm very sorry."

Matthew's face went through several expressions. Hope, exasperation, sorrow before going completely flat. He straightened his stance and spun out of the room without another word or glance to either of us. The last thing we heard of him was him slamming the door shut.

"Selene." I said urgently spinning her around to face me. "Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, I do not think that I will ever agree with Matthew and I do not think he and I will ever see eye to eye, but he means something to you. He is your family."

"I didn't want to do it." She admitted. "But I had to. You don't understand. Last week I was scum on the end of his shoe that he had to deal with, I trained myself for years to not be fazed by his words and to tell myself that if he loved me he would be different but none of it ever worked, _ever_. Now he wants to be uncle of the year and I am supposed to let these past years wash away?" She rested her hands back onto my chest, not even realizing it. "I need time to figure myself out."

"Take all the time you need." After saying that something still tugged at me from the inside, something that I wanted her to know, but wasn't sure if it was the right time. _Now or never._ "Selene, a lot of things that were said by him were untrue, though I understand his point of view and even appreciate his concern over you. However I want to make one thing very clear; I would never talk you or force you into bed with me."

"I know." She said. "I figured that out last night, it was very gentlemen like of you, to consider how I felt."

"Good. I mean I'm glad." I said feeling nervous and trying to scramble for the right words. "I-I appreciate you trying to defend me—"

"It's what I vowed to do." She said smiling. _My god she's beautiful. Her smile lightens up her whole face, she looks so…incredible._

"Yes I suppose it is." I smiled back. And then I remembered something. "You called me."

"What?" She asked.

"You called me." I repeated. "The other night, the one before the Elder meeting. You called and sounded upset. I'm guessing it had something to do with why Matthew was here today, I mean other than the fact that he thinks that I am practically a demon trying to influence you to be with me."

She laughed, but with no humor. "I just-I thought I needed to talk to someone, someone I knew would listen. But I wasn't ready yet. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"I _was_ worried about you, I wanted to see you that night but I felt that you were not in a good place, that's why I waited until the next night to visit you." I admitted, feeling more awkward.

"I appreciate that." She said, and then she slapped her hands to her sides changing the subject. "So where were you off to today?" She asked reaching up to play with the end of my collar, not even realizing how alluring she was being. _Control yourself._ I chanted to myself, it was all I could do not to have her then and there.

"I had some business to attend to." I told her, my voice gentle and slightly distracted, for I was far to memorized by her at the moment to really focus on what she was asking.

"What kind of business?" She asked just as softly, not trying to pry; but simply curious.

"Let's not worry about such things just now." I ran my fingers through her hair. "I want to enjoy this time together so no business and no talk of your uncle or anything else that upsets you. Unless you want to, of course."

"That sounds like a fair deal." She agreed. She twirled around me, the skirt of her red dress swirling before landing back along her body, hugging her thighs. She sat down; resting in the chair I usually accompanied and stretched her legs out. "So, tell me what you have planned for me these two weeks." She said bringing her legs back up to her so she could sit on her feet. She played with the end of her dress, her body language childlike, but as I looked into her eyes I saw how they sparkled with mischief and her lips were turned into a playful and challenging smile. It reminded me of the day in Elder Hall after she agreed to marry me, that moment when she looked back at me before she left.

_She is baiting you. Should I bite?_

"I hadn't really thought these weeks through, I had intended to follow your lead." I admitted. _You are not the only one who can play innocent my sweet._ I sat at her feet, resting my elbow on a space of the seat cushion, chin in my hand.

"My lead?" She said trying to stay playful but her voice sounded a little shaky, indicating lost confidence.

"Mhmm."

She stood up and walked gracefully about, pacing back and forth across the room deep in thought. I sat down in the chair.

"That's _my _seat." She toyed.

"There's plenty of room right here love." I patted my lap. I smiled as I watched her face; it could not hide her emotions or thoughts if she wanted them too. Right now she was tossing back and forth with the idea to step back from our new flirtation or to fall into it. Her face went impish again as she sat down square in my lap. "And for the record." I continued. "This is _my_ seat."

"What if we agree to share?" She prompted.

"I don't like to share." I teased.

"Please? Just with me, I promise to take good care of the seat when I'm sitting in it." She batted her eyelashes, but not in a sickening flirtatious way like other girls and women did with me when they desperately wanted me to give them a second look or to ask them out on a date, but in a way that I knew was just natural to her. _Kiss me._ I mentally pleaded with her. _Kiss me now._ Alas I knew she could not hear me.

"Well." I said. "I don't know, I rather like this current arrangement." I riskily brought my hands and arms around her waist pulling her toward me. She leaned her head on my shoulder. I could smell the sweetness of her hair, her shampoo was subtle and the lightness of her skin made me feel tranquil; and hungry. _Hungry for her. Mind, soul…and body._ She leaned into me, her lips parted. And then I stiffened and noticed that I was gripping at the soft fabric of her dress so tightly I was almost ripping it.

"Is something wrong?" She shot up looking at me concerned.

"Have the chair all you like." I snapped. I picked her up from my lap and plopped her down in the seat stalking away.

"Cole." She shouted after me. I stopped but did not turn. "I-I'm sorry. I-didn't mean to do anything to offend you. I t-thought you wanted—."

I raised my hand to stop her, still not daring to look at her. I could only imagine the crushed face that matched her hurt voice and I knew I couldn't take it. "Look it was nothing you did alright? Just-just give me a moment okay?" I raced out of the room and stalked into my office slamming the door shut.

_Very well done Cole. She finally starts to warm up to you-if you wanted you and her could have even ki—. _No it wasn't right; she warmed up to me because she was upset. She came to me because she felt alone, she was weak, vulnerable, she was-…willing…too willing. _You huge idiot, she will never come near you now._

I sat in my leather chair and hit my forehead to the desk. _Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. She was fine, you and she were getting along and she wanted to be near you!_

I got up from my chair and hurried back to the parlor but noticed that she was already gone. _Great, you scared her off._ "Selene?" I called. "Selene are you here?"

I searched the house and to no avail, could not find her. I was in the bedroom, frustrated when I saw a glimmer of red outside the window. _Selene. _She sat by the brook, on the opposite side of where she usually sat when she would wander by the creek. In a flash I was downstairs and out the back door.

She heard me come, but she did not acknowledge me. She played with a dandelion, blowing it so that the little feather like petals flew into the breeze. I stepped behind her, only a foot away looking down at her. "Selene, I'm sorry for how I behaved just a moment ago."

She spun on her feet to face me so fast I had to step back. She stepped forward to fill the space between us. Then out of nowhere, grabbed me by the collar, and kissed me.

_Wow._


	16. Together

**Chapter 16-Together**

_Selene_

I was pacing the room, pretending to think about what the two of us could do during our two weeks of seclusion, but the thoughts of the moments before impeded any other thoughts.

Having to tell Uncle Matthew to stay away from me was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, which surprised me greatly. I mean after completely blowing up at him a few days ago I was surprised that anything that involved either of us could ever be as hard or as hurtful again. Alas, he came here telling me things that I had wanted to hear for the entire three years I had lived with him, and while I truly believed that he was sincere and wanted to protect me; I needed to set a boundary between us. It was like I said; it was I _my _life and I needed to figure myself out without being pulled down by someone who just now decided to show that he cared.

And now here I was alone with Cole. _Again._ Only this time I could not run away, or hide. But I wasn't so sure I wanted to anymore. I mean, despite some of the things that people have said, not to mention the eerie dreams that I have been having; none of it seemed to overshadow the fact that Cole has been nothing but warm and kind to _me._ I looked at him and noticed that he had moved from the spot on the floor to the chair. He lounged in the seat looking like an elegant and deadly panther; hypnotizing his prey with his seductive eyes and cunning smile.

I tried to distract myself by lightening the moment; teasing him about his change of seating. "That's _my _seat." I said trying to sound like Valerie or any of the other girls at school who flirted with the boys. As I said it though, I felt like an idiot, I was sure he would laugh at me but I kept up the act.

"There's plenty of room right here love." He patted his lap and settled into the seat even further. _What do I do now?_ All my ideas of flirtation left my head, all I had was my ordinary self; shy and clueless when it comes to the opposite sex- Selene. _No, don't let him get to you, show him that he is not the only one who can play this game.—Oh what do I know_, I countered myself_, I lived seventeen years without a boyfriend and then bam! I had a husband; I deserve a little time to get adjusted right? Right. Alright just make a decision, sit or say something—right now. Okay…here it goes…I'm pathetic._ Again, trying to look confident I smiled and sat down in his lap looking him dead in the eye. "And for the record," he continued with a satisfied smile. "This is _my _seat."

"What if we agree to share?" I said as softly as I could, not letting him win.

"I don't like to share." His voice was light, but there was still an edge to it that made me wonder if he really meant it. He _did _say that he liked his privacy a lot, enough to let people think he was a murderer so he could keep it. I wondered if he didn't like to share anything in his life, maybe he was the kind of person who wanted things to be exclusively his. _Including me._

"Please?" I said, pushing out negative thoughts. "Just with me, I promise to take good care of the seat when I'm sitting in it." I looked at him as honestly as I could, hoping he would mimic my actions and I could see into him, really being able to decide once and for all if I was safe with him as I was wishing I would be.

"Well I don't know." He said, "I rather like this current arrangement." He looked me into the eyes as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I could tell that he was being careful, feeding off my responses as his hands and arms inched me closer and closer to his chest. _If he is evil, he is really good at hiding it. If he isn't evil…which I think is the more likely case, then there is no reason to be afraid anymore. _I leaned my head on his shoulder, taking in his scent. He wore no cologne, but he still smelled clean and fresh like he had just showered. I looked up at him, my eyes going directly to his full lips, suddenly feeling like breaking all barriers once and for all. I leaned in to try and kiss him, but he held to my dress so tightly, then his body became rigid and cold.

"Is something wrong?" I looked into his eyes seeing that they were flat.

"Have the chair all you like." He said rudely. He pulled himself up slamming me into the chair, soft enough where I wasn't hurt, but hard enough to let me know he did not want to be followed as he stormed out of the room. I stood up anyway stepping toward him.

"Cole!" He stopped, but he wouldn't look at me. ""I-I'm sorry. I-didn't mean to do anything to offend you. I t-thought you wanted—." _I shouldn't have tried to kiss him. I feel like such a fool. I knew in my heart I was acting like an idiot but I hoped I was wrong._

He raised his hand to silence me. "Look it was nothing you did alright? Just-just give me a moment okay?" He stormed out. I sat back in the chair feeling so completely rejected. _Why? Why would he go through all this trouble just to push me away? Is it all a game to him? _I felt tears well up. _No, I will not cry again…I just…I just need some air. _

I bolted out to the backyard to sit at the creek as I used to sit at when I would sneak onto Cole's property. I loved the feel of the breeze against my skin and I let the cool air fill my lungs.

I thought of moments in my life that were happy and less confusing. I remembered one time father, mother and I were going to our winter cabin to spend a few days together as a family. Father was mad because we had gotten a flat tire and the tow truck was two hours late and we were stranded. Mother was upset because she forgot to buy groceries to bring with us to the cabin, and she hadn't told father yet and was afraid to because she thought it would make him madder. I remembered how it started to snow then, and rather than get angry myself that my coat was buried under all our bags I gathered snow and threw a huge ball of it at father, trying to make him laugh. It worked and soon we were all soaked with cold water laughing and playing, completely forgetting about our troubles.

Things like that made me miss them even more. I needed my mother's optimism and my father's wisdom to help me right now.

Sounds from the house caught my attention. I could hear Cole calling me. _Well he can just come and find me then, there is no way I am going to him._ I picked a dandelion, blowing on it as he opened the back door and walked to me, sighing with relief. "Selene, I'm sorry for how I behaved just a moment ago."

At this point I had become used to my random acts of impulse around Cole. So I was not surprised when I spun right around, got on my feet and grabbed his collar. I brought his lips to mine kissing him with everything that I had. It was…indescribable. Nothing like what you hear on television or read in books or hear in school about fireworks and magic. _It was better._

I pulled away to see his eyes glazed over with shock. And then I hit him hard across the face. _Again._ He snapped out of his daze and looked at me confused. "It's aggravating isn't it Cole?" I antagonized poking my finger in his chest and stepping forward, he stepped back to put space between us but I just closed the gap again. We continued this dance as I kept on yelling him. "One moment I'm sweet and loving, and then the next boom!" I punched him in the chest, hard enough for him to know I was serious, but not hard enough to do any damage that I probably could do if I wanted. "The next moment I am slapping you and being cold and MEAN. Does that sound vaguely familiar dear husband?"

"Selene I—."

"I talk you listen."

"No." He stopped backing away and stepped right to me, nearly knocking me over. "I talk, you listen." All my confidence was deflated as I saw his determination. "I agree my reaction back inside the house was—to use your words earlier; not very gentlemanlike. I was not expecting you to warm up to me like you did."

"Well congratulations, I won't be making that mistake again I assure you." I sniffed, trying to march around him. He side stepped, blocking me.

"I'm not finished." He added. "That does not excuse my behavior. You're right; my hot and cold behavior is probably a bit confusing. I wasn't trying to hurt you, I'd rather cut out my own heart than hurt you." I said nothing to that. "Now where were we?" He pulled me tight to his chest and kissed me hard on the mouth, rougher than how I had kissed him.

And then I understood. I understood what he had somehow realized long ago. We needed each other. We complimented each other and contrasted at the same time. Hard and soft, cold and warm, potential to be evil if he really wanted to be and me, who could not be evil if my life depended on it.

The kiss deepened, I felt his arm swoop up under my legs, and soon he was carrying me. He went back to the house, not allowing our lips to part. He shut the back door with his foot then took me upstairs. I felt the softness beneath me as he sat me down on top of a bed. He allowed our lips to part for a moment to look at me. I did everything I could to tell him with my eyes that it was okay this time. I was in a better place than the night before. _Could it have only been last night?_

I moved myself backward to rest myself against the headboard, I leaned back, my heart beating a mile a minute waiting for him to make the next move. He smiled and walked around the bed, over to me, torturously slow. He went on top of me, straddling my waist. I unbuttoned his shirt as he stoked the back of my head, fingers winding in my hair now and then. His shoulders slugged out of the shirt and he threw it on the floor. Cole grabbed my arms to spin us around so that I was on top of him. His hands went up the skirt of my dress, lingering on my thighs a little longer than necessary before throwing the dress over my head. _I should have worn a bra._ I thought slightly embarrassed. He didn't seem to mind that I wasn't.

Feeling slightly cold and exposed, I nervously tried to find a place to put my hands and arms. Cole brushed his hands against my back and pulled me to him, twisting us again so that we were both flat against the bed, but once again he was on top of me, holding his weight on his forearms. His lips strayed everywhere, my neck, my shoulders, and then from my collar bone down to my stomach, the prickliness of his face scratched against my soft skin. "So sweet." He whispered.

He came back up to my face, kissing my eyelids, nose, and cheeks before resting firmly on my lips.

Soon, not a piece of clothing separated out bodies from each other.

His skin was warm against mine.

And then, we fell into each other completely.

We became a heap of tangled limbs and beating hearts.

His hands and lips touched every part of me.

It was sensual.

But scary.

But he was gentle.

But he did not hold back.

"Are you okay?" He would ask me in a husky whisper every now and then.

"Yes." I would reply.

The last thing I remembered was lying against Cole's chest, my hand and head resting on him like he was a big pillow. His hand traced shapes on the back of my neck as he kissed my forehead. "Perfect." He whispered.

And then my eyelids grew heavier than I could handle and I fell asleep.

I noticed the next morning that the curtains, which before had been all but welded shut were open, letting the sun stream in on us as we slept.

I awoke in the same position that I had fallen asleep in the night before, resting against Cole's chest as he haphazardly traced patters along the back of my neck and my spine. "Sleep well?" He mimicked himself from the morning before, only this time he had an edge of humor to it. I smiled my eyes still closed.

"Mmhmm." He rolled us over so he could rest on top of me, kissing my neck and the tops of my breasts.

I opened my eyes and saw that he was now looking up at me, a smile on his lips. His hair was more tousled than always, the sun shining on it so fiercely it only emphasized how purely black it was. His eyes which always seemed like a deep emerald green sparkled with the warmth of freshly mown grass. He flashed me an even bigger white smile when he caught me staring.

I turned away and blushed.

"Get up." He ordered lightly.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"Up." He stated simply, rising himself. I noticed he was still undressed, as I had been. He grabbed his clothes throwing them on without effort. "What are you waiting for? Up, I want to take you somewhere."

"Where?" I asked, feeling excited.

"Just put on your dress and come with me, we won't be wandering far." I finally obeyed, quickly slipping on my dress so I could hurry up and follow him downstairs. He twined my fingers with his as he led me downstairs, through the kitchen, and out the back door. We walked less than a mile along the back creek before making to a shallow pond.

"I didn't know that this pond was here." I told him. He did not respond as he took off his shirt and pants, jumping into the pond in nothing but his boxers. The water was deeper than I thought as I saw it rise to his mid chest.

"Come on in." I looked around nervously.

"What if someone comes by and sees us?" I asked him, knowing that every part of my body was tugging me to the water, while every part of my mind was tugging me back to the house.

"So what?" He said. "Selene, love no one ever comes this way. Now if you don't get in here I will come out and drag you in here."

"You wouldn't." I challenged. That was a mistake. His eyes flashed into complete darkness and an evil smile curled on his lips.

"Wouldn't I?" He said in a voice so deadly chilling the bravest of souls would cower in fear. He hoisted himself out of the pond and walked toward me, eyes focused.

"Stay back Cole."

"No." His smile widened. I ran as fast as I could toward the house. I ran my full speed, it reminded me of my baby vampire days, no older than five or six when I would race father out our cabin through the woods where no one could see the man and child that ran so fast they were almost invisible. I heard Cole in quick pursuit behind me. _He's much faster. And he knows I am going to the house. He can run passed meet me there if he wanted to. _I changed my direction heading straight for the woods so fast that I could have sworn I heard him stutter step, thrown off by my change of direction. I smiled at myself.

I stopped for a moment. Cole wasn't behind me anymore. The only thing I heard was some hikers quietly passing through. "Cole?" I whispered harshly. Silence. Silence and then a stamped of footsteps in my direction. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and I felt a man's chest slam into my back.

"Gotcha." Cole whispered in my ear, laughing. I laughed with him as he picked me up and spun me around once or twice. "Now come in the water with me."

"You win." I laughed as his fingers twisted in my sides tickling me.

"Selene?" A voice asked. I looked up in shock to see a familiar face. A boy; not overly tall and whose tan had already begun to fade, with blue eyes and golden hair was looking at me, a mixture of emotions on his face. Tanner.

"Tanner?" A man called. He was tall and blonde, his father I presumed. He stopped and looked from me to Cole and then back to me. Cole kissed the back of my head, his arms pulling me to him slightly possessively. "Why hello." He said to us with a smile, but his eyes told me that he was just faking the politeness. "Tanner, who's your friend?" He looked at me, never once looking back at Cole

"Her name is Selene." He said solemnly looking at Cole. "Selene, I thought you were sick? That's what people have been saying anyway." I froze not knowing what to say.

"She was." Cole intervened. Neither Tanner nor his father looked at him as he spoke. "Her fever was down this morning and I thought she could use some fresh air, maybe even a swim in the pond to get some energy back."

"That's not the best way to cure the sick." Tanner's father said his voice too obviously cheerful.

"We should get back." Cole said to me, kissing my neck from behind, looking back to Tanner and his father. "It was a pleasure seeing you to out here, but if you excuse us, I should probably get her back to bed."

I waved goodbye nervously as Cole led me back home, leaving his clothes by the pond. When I looked back both Tanner and his father were gone.

"What was all that about?" I asked Cole.

He picked me up bridal style. "I think that boy just found out that you have been playing hooky."

"Not that." I said. "The way they were looking at you. Or weren't looking at you rather."

"Don't worry about it love." He said, but his jaw was tight.


	17. A Gift and A Terror

**Chapter 17-A Gift and A Terror**

_Selene_

I stayed nestled under the covers, burrowing my body even deeper when I heard Cole shift around in bed and slide two heavily muscled arms around my waist. He nuzzled his face in my neck, then stretched his long body; I heard the popping of his joints and muscles as he did so.

"Wake up love." He whispered kissing my shoulders. _I don't want to. _It was Monday, two weeks after he and I had been married; which meant I had to return to school and work.

It all seemed so different now. I wasn't exactly going back to my old life and yet here I was hopping off to school with a wedding ring wrapped around my finger, announcing to the world that I had a husband; but not just any husband, Cole Wilshire.

Big, bad scary Cole Wilshire who people feared even looking at because his eyes could go deadly flat and emotionless when he wanted them too. However with me, he wasn't big, bad, scary Cole Wilshire. He was just Cole, kind and loving and gentle. I didn't want to go back. I wanted to stay here with Cole forever, even though I knew things with him and I weren't perfect. We had gotten to know each other true, but he was still a huge mystery to me. Like the other day when we saw Tanner and his father. _Why wouldn't they look at him? Why did I get the feeling that Cole wasn't being truthful when he said that there was nothing to worry about?_

"Honey?" Cole said, snapping me out of oblivion.

"Hmm." I said faking exhaustion.

"You have to get up, you'll be late. Hurry, I'll take you." I heard him begin to get up from bed.

"Take me?"_ Take me? Take me to school in front of everybody? _Not like I was ashamed, but the last thing I wanted was added attention after being gone for two weeks, and now I would be dropped off by Cole of all people. Especially attention from Tanner who I suspected was already suspicious of me and Cole. _I can't let the humans know. I was told to be discrete until after graduation about the marriage._

"But of course Selene." He said, brushing hair away from my neck so he could kiss me on the spot below my ear. "You think that I am going to let you walk all the way to school?"

"I've always walked before." I pointed out.

"Yes." He muttered briskly. "However, I never quite liked that you walked before. You should be treated like a princess, and princesses don't walk to school."

"Princesses need their exercise." I countered. I turned to face him. He was beautiful as always. And barely dressed, wearing nothing but cotton trousers.

"You get _plenty_ of exercise with _me_." He said pointedly. "Every evening. " He kissed my cheek. "And sometimes in the morning." He kissed my other cheek. "And in the afternoon…"

"Cole!" I shouted scandalized, but I couldn't help but smile at him. He chuckled then pulled me out of bed.

"Up." He said. I sighed and finally began to get dressed for the day. I gave Onyx who found the inside of mine and Cole's closet to be a nice bedroom a quick pat on the head. Just as I was about to leave the room Cole grabbed my hand.

"I think you should leave this here." He said, fiddling with the rings on my finger, he didn't seem too happy about it. "Just for when you're in school."

He was right. It wasn't that I was necessarily hiding my marriage, but a seventeen year old high school girl going to class with wedding bands on her finger hardly blended it. Especially since to the humans, I was still considered a child, therefore I would draw even more attention to myself. But I didn't want to hide it. No one bothered to try to talk to me anymore anyway. _Well except Tanner. _Since I typically kept to myself and shut people out they stopped trying to know me. _But Tanner is like a terrier, he will latch on and not let go until he finds out everything._ I nodded in agreement with him and put the rings in a jewelry box.

"I have a better idea." Cole said. He pulled out a chain from one of his dresser drawers and linked my engagement and wedding ring on it. But rather than putting it around my neck he put it around _his._ Then he took his wedding band and put it on the chain where my locket was. "When you graduate from school in a few months we will return each other's rings to one another, deal?" I smiled at him once again. He kissed my forehead and then led me to his car so he could drive me.

_This will be interesting._

Cole dropped me off at the very front entrance of the school; very different from the last time he took me where he brought me through the back to avoid attention. I sighed looking at the worn brick building. Everyone scurried about meeting up with friends and copying assignments that had been ignored the previous evening. I felt a cool finger stroke my cheek.

"I can go in with you if you like." He teased. I smiled at him but remained quiet. He changed the subject catching on to my nervousness. "Do you work today?"

"Mmhmm." I said, feeling my stomach churn. It was hard to wrap my mind around White Waters High and Cole Wilshire being in the same universe. I couldn't even imagine the days when Cole actually _attended _White Waters High School. Picturing him in a classroom diligently taking notes or eating in the cafeteria didn't seem to match his brooding, rule breaker persona. _Maybe he was a rebel then too._ I smiled in spite of myself.

"Maybe I'll drop in to visit you."

"Huh?" I said, remembering that I was still in the car with Cole.

He smiled. "Distracted?" I nodded. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind my dropping by your work this afternoon. Maybe you could sneak away with me a while, you must be allowed breaks."

"I don't know." I said, remembering that I officially didn't work for Ira anymore. I worked for Tanner's father now. _Oh my, I don't even know his last name._ "I have a new boss remember? I think that I might have to work overtime to prove myself to him, you know since I've been gone these past two weeks. Especially after he saw us in the woods that day."

"I wouldn't worry about any of that love." He said, a smile remained on his lips, but the look in his eyes told me something different.

"Cole what's going on?"

"Whatever do you mean?" He blinked innocently.

"I'm not stupid Cole."

His face went serious. "I never said you were, nor have I ever implied such."

"Cole, I saw the way Tanner and his father looked at you—or didn't look at you, what's going on?" I stared at him as he looked through the windshield.

"Selene, that boy…Trevor or whatever his name is seems to have a crush on you, and I imagine seeing the two of us together did not please him. As far as his father well—it could be one of two things. One, he has heard all about me from this town; both truths and lies or two…" he trailed off, debating with himself on whether he should continue.

"Well?" I put as gently as I could. I knew he would shut down completely if he didn't want to answer something. I had to make him realize that he wasn't under scrutiny with me. _Even though he kind of is. _

"You'll find out in time Selene. But for now, you'll be late if you don't leave." He nodded toward the school. I saw more people start to gather and prepare to go into the school. From the corner of my eye I saw Valerie and her clones approaching the center entrance. Her clones saw me in the car with Cole, mouths gaping open and eyes wide. Valerie pretended not to notice.

Upset with Cole about keeping secret, after all the progress I thought he had made. I bolted out of the car without another word to him.

I heard him leave the car and follow me. I did not stop as I stomped away, the pink ballet flats on my feet hardly made me look as tough as I felt at the moment but I did not care. He stepped in front of me and put his hands on my waist. I looked to the side and was greeted again by the shock on not only Valerie's friends' faces, but now everyone's faces. _Just what I was hoping to avoid. Now all I need is for everyone to break out their camera phones to forever record my humiliation._

"Don't be angry with me." Cole said, oblivious to the attention we were getting. _I guess he's used to it. Cole hardly went anywhere without attention. _"I promise, today you'll find the last of my secrets this afternoon, I just want everything to be finalized first."

"You can't give me more than that." I said sulkily.

"I promise it will make you very happy. Or so I hope." He said, tugging at my hair playfully. He kissed my hand and then he moved his lips onto mine. I heard gasps behind Cole, I pulled away but Cole just brought me closer. "Have a good day Mrs. Wilshire." He stepped away just as the final bell rang. I ignored the looks and gasps from everyone and walked to class as dignified as I could.

I sat down in my first class. Drowning out the sounds of classmates and trying to act as though I didn't notice the many pairs of eyes that were focused on me. Tanner came into class just then, he sat next to me and turned his body toward my direction. When I wouldn't look at him he spoke.

"Are you feeling better?" I expected his tone to have a bitter, sarcastic edge, but to my surprise he was sincere, when I looked into his eyes, I saw that he really meant it.

"Yes thank you, I had a terrible case of the flu." My voice shook as I said it. I hated lying.

"I'm glad. That your better I mean, not that you had a bad flu."He paused. "Though next time you might want to reconsider a morning swim or run through the woods when you're sick."

"Yeah, I guess I underestimated how sick I was."

"I guess congratulations are in order." He said, his tone changing from sincere to acid. _Oh no, he knows I'm married. He knows now and I will be in trouble for not managing the one thing I was supposed to keep discrete, quiet. Just play dumb. _

"What do you mean?"

"Well it looks like your friend Cole bought up The Teahouse."

"What?" _So that's what he's hiding. Why couldn't he tell me that?_

"Yeah, apparently Ira didn't own it like she thought, her mother did…or something like that." He rambled. "Well anyway her mother promised it to Cole, Ira promised it to my dad, and now Cole owns the place. My dad is pretty upset over the whole deal. Something about The Teahouse being a huge opportunity for what he has been working for and stuff."

"Oh." I said. "So what happens with you and your father now? You came here for The Teahouse, but now that Cole owns it what are you going to do?"

"I guess Cole is going to come in and out as he pleases. He is giving my dad a huge percentage of the earnings and is oh so generously letting us work there until the summer; that way dad doesn't have to pull me out of school again this late in the year and dad had time to find another business." He said solemnly.

"That's not so bad of a compromise; I mean it's better than nothing." I said.

"You didn't hear Cole when he had to agree to it." He pouted. "He had these lawyers, or whatever; Jones and Malcolm I think their names were they were the ones that arranged things for me and my dad. Cole seemed like he would rather we got nothing out of the deal and left this place right now."

"Oh." I repeated.

"So is Cole your boyfriend now?" He asked in a tone that upset me. One that let me know he was hoping with all he had that I would say no.

"Well-we're together-yes." I said. "I am having trouble with my uncle…and well-Cole is letting me stay with him and everything, for now, he's really nice and he and I just sort of hit things off. I guess." _Okay so it was a half lie. Things were bad with Uncle Matthew, I was with Cole and we were living together…I just nixed the part about well…everything else._

"Wow, living together. A huge step for a high school kid, isn't he a little old for you?" Tanner said. "What is he thirty?"

"Twenty seven." I corrected. "Yes he's a bit older than me, but he is very patient and kind with me. That's all that matters." _Will class please start?_

"I guess." He huffed. "I just think you could do better. Do you know what I've heard about him—I asked around about him; do you know what I heard Selene?" His voice got higher.

"Tanner, please." I said. People were staring and whispering. I shrank in my seat embarrassed. _Stop looking at me._

"I have a right to be worried about you." He said.

"You don't even know me." I said, choking back tears of frustration.

"I—" But he couldn't finish his sentence, because just then class began and we spoke not another word the whole day. I couldn't even retreat to the library at lunch, knowing he would be there waiting for me. I settled for the oak trees at the side of the school, the place where couples came to spend time together. They would be more focused on each other than me. I pulled out a novel and buried myself in the world of my book, far away from here.

_I didn't think this through. _I thought as I walked to The Teahouse. I saw Tanner's father at the counter, remembering that the three of us would be working together for a while.

"Hello, I hear you're the woman who works in the back and does all the paintings on the tea sets and the other figurines in here" Tanner's father said. "Selena right?" His blue eyes glinted with enthusiasm. Fake enthusiasm. I noted.

"Selene," I corrected. "And really I have only done a few of the things in here, I've only worked here for a few years and some of this stuff has been here for quite some time." I added modestly, then I remembered my manners, I extended my hand. "Very pleased to meet you Mr. —"

"Mr. Anderson." He said, taking my hand. His brow furrowed as he touched my skin.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"No."

"Hey dad." Tanner said, walking in. "So where do I start?" He looked at me nervously then back at his father.

"You and Selene work in the back." He said. "I will stay up here for now. Stock the shelves while she gets to work on the summer tea sets. Stay out of her way alright son?" Tanner nodded. "Get to work." He said clapping his hands together.

"Shall we?" Tanner gestured to the back room.

I nodded politely and went ahead to the back, sitting on my stool and grabbing my brush. Some of the pictures on the tea cups were actually done by a manufacturer, but the pricier ones were the ones I painted either free handedly or with a stencil. I dipped my brush into orange paint and made various swirls and patterns on the cream cup.

"Hey you're not too bad at that." Tanner said, looking over my shoulder.

"Thank you." I said.

I was relieved when he said nothing more about how he thought I should live my personal life. I was so wrapped up in my work that I did not notice the time pass. But I did notice the familiar lips that kissed the back of my neck.

"Break time." Cole said, his finger slowly drawing a line down my spine.

"Just one moment." I drew a few more lines on the last cup.

"Hello Mr. Wilshire." Tanner said through gritted teeth.

"Trevor," Cole nodded, not looking at him this time.

"It's Tanner." He corrected.

"My apologies." He said. Tanner's father came in then. "Everything okay in here? Mr. Wilshire I am sure you'll be pleased to see everything is in order."

"Yes thank you." He took my hand. "You both won't mind if I steal her away from her work a while will you? Good. I think that the two of you should take a break as well. It's a nice day."

"Who will run the store?" Tanner questioned.

"Selene, and I will stay here, you two enjoy an hour or two outside." Cole's voice made it clear that he wasn't just suggesting.

"That sounds great." Mr. Anderson said, his fake smile returning. He and Tanner walked out, leaving me and Cole alone.

I looked at him, fists balled up. "When were you going to tell me that you _bought _The Teahouse? Was that what you had to do the day you had to leave when we were on our honeymoon? Is that why they won't look at you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to tell you today that I bought The Teahouse, I just had a few things to finalize today first. Yes, to the next three questions and I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up if things didn't work out."

"What do you mean?"

"The Elders had me buy this place to get it out of the hands of the humans, and then it was going to be auctioned off to some interested vampires so that way we could take care of it _and _Elder Hall. Well, I wanted to keep it so I had to put a bid in. I won. It is officially ours."

"Ou-ours?" I said, suddenly realizing what he was saying.

"Yes." He said. "I know that you wanted this place when it first went up for sale. It's yours now. We deal with the Andersons until they go about their way this summer and you and I will be the ones who own and operated it."

"I-The Teahouse-it's ours?"

"Yours mostly. You might want to hire people to help run the front since I know you don't like to do that part. I'll come in and out of here, but mostly this place is for you. I'm sorry if I overstepped myself but I thought you would be happy."

"Cole—I can't—I can't understand why you would be so good to me." I said.

"I want you realize how much I _do _care for you. I am constantly competing with what people tell you about me and what fears you still seem to hold every now and then about me, I want to prove myself to you." I smiled prepared to say something as profound and sweet as he had just said.

But then the screaming came.


	18. Attempted Attack

**Chapter 18-Attempted Attack**

_Cole_

She stood there looking more beautiful than ever. She was pleased with my gift, for which I was relieved. I had hoped she would be but I feared that she might have felt like I was overstepping myself. Her smile lit up her face and her eyes sparkled with true enjoyment. She tried to find words, and I smiled as she failed to articulate what she was feeling. I was just about to lean in to kiss her when…a terrible screaming came from outside.

Selene ran toward the direction of the screaming but I pulled her back. "Stay behind me." I said. We peered out through the front, being careful to go as unnoticed as possible. We both looked through the store window and out onto the street. I saw a crowd gather in the middle of the road, circling an object or a person of some sorts.

"We have to go out there." She whispered from behind me. She gently placed her hands on my shoulders and looked at me, eyes worried. I peered back at her and then forward again, noticing the rumble of people.

"Alright," I nodded. "It doesn't look like anyone's been hurt or that there is an attacker out there, I think we may be safe. Stay close." I took her hand as we stepped outside. We went into the circle, people giving me wide birth as I Selene and I went into the center.

"Oh no." Selene said. I froze looking at what the commotion was about. In the center of the crowded circle sat a huddled up girl; Valerie, a girl who went to school with Selene. A vampire. She was crying and looking at something terrifying in front of her that nearly struck her. It was a large wooden sphere; the kind that would have been shot out of a crossbow had been pierced through her direction, and was now staked into the ground, inches away from her. Two words rung in my head. _Vampire hunter. _The Elders mentioned that there was one at large, and now he was here in White Waters. _This is not good._

I shrugged off my coat and went over to the girl, wrapping it around her for warmth and helping her stand. Elder Malcolm and Elder Henry came through.

"There is nothing to see here." Elder Malcolm said with authority. The humans in the crowd looked at him with confusion, they had no idea who Elder Malcolm was; and they certainly didn't know he was head Elder to the vampire race, being as how they didn't even know of the existence of vampires. Yet they all complied and slowly the crowd dwindled. "All three of you follow me." He said looking from me, to Valerie then Selene.

We followed him into The Teahouse, Elder Henry walked behind us keeping an eye out. Heading toward the back we sat in the lounge area that had a small couch and couple of armchairs around a coffee table. Selene went to the small stove that was in the back and began boiling water for tea, bringing out an assortment of flavors and five little cups all beautifully painted.

"What happened?" Elder Henry asked the girl.

"I was just w-walking and so-someone sh-shot it at me." She whispered, her voice shaking.

"Did you see who?" Elder Malcolm asked sitting down by her.

"No."

Elder Malcolm gave me a look then spoke to the girl again. "Elder Henry will escort you home; I want you to stay there and not to leave until school the next morning. Have your parents take you. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He nodded to Elder Henry, who took Valerie's arm and began to lead her home. Elder Malcolm waited to hear the front door close before he spoke again.

"Where are the humans?" He asked, not looking at either me or Selene. "The ones who work here with you."

"I gave them a break; I don't know where they went or when they'll be back." I said. Selene had sat down beside me, her tiny hands clasping the teacup so firmly I thought it would break. "Is this the hunter you spoke of before?"

"Yes, but we had no idea that he or she would come to White Waters so quickly, or that they would attack _any_ vampire. The one prior was a man who lived alone; we figured that the pattern of the hunter would be attacking loners to make a statement. We never imagined that the hunter would attack a young girl."

"You really believed that the hunter had a conscience?" I asked disgusted. "These hunters think that our kind is an overpowering race that sleeps in coffins and turns into bats. To them we are _monsters_ who are out to destroy them, they will not show discrimination; man, woman or child! We all should have been on alert."

"Cole." Elder Malcolm's voice was cold and has an authority that matched a father speaking to a small child. "I am well aware of the situation, the Elders and I are handling things to the highest extent that we can, but _you_ don't fully understand. We need to take things slowly and be careful, if one human even one, starts to figure out what's going on, the entire town of humans will come with torches and pitchforks with intent to _help_ the hunter and kill us all." He sighed. "We are holding a meeting tonight, all of the vampires will come and the Elders will discuss what they need to do in order to stay safe from the hunter until he is caught. In the mean time; as I told you weeks ago _she-" _he nodded toward Selene, "is your first and only priority. You're not a part of the Elders yet, and you won't be until this situation is dealt with and it is safe for your great grandfather to step down. Protect this girl with all that you have."

"Yes sir." I said with my jaw tight. I knew that my obligation was to protect Selene, as a matter of fact; all I care about was protecting her. The thought of someone putting fear into her like that other poor girl Valerie or worse actually _hurting _her brought out the animal in me. I felt fire in my stomach, my animalistic instincts wanted me to hunt for this monster and rip his throat out. _But I can't_. Our race has come so far. Most vampires were wealthy enough to buy blood from blood banks, I myself had a vampire acquaintance that worked at a blood bank and gave me good deals. The lesser fortunate would feed from humans directly; they tended to be the ones that spread out so they weren't feeding from the same people all the time. Though, I had on occasion sipped from a human, I found it was a good thing to do when I was on edge. _I wonder about Selene. _She has been a vampire all her life, I wonder how she feeds; I don't think I have ever seen her drink the sweet red liquid that keeps us alive. She was by far, the most discrete of the vampire kind that I had ever encountered.

I turned toward her and saw that her eyebrows were kneaded together; her eyes were concentrating on a spot on the floor as though that spot had all the answers. I leaned into her and kissed her on the cheek. She snapped out of her thoughts, her sweet smile spreading across her face as she rested her head on my shoulder; complete trust. I slung my arm around her shoulders pulling her tighter to me, the suppleness of her body was so soft, had we not had company from Elder Malcolm I might have taken her right then and there. I was rather enjoying that part of our marriage.

Elder Malcolm cleared his throat. Selene straightened up but I ignored him, resting my chin on her shoulder and tickling her sides. She smiled as she squirmed away, her cheeks turned red like cherries when she noticed that Elder Malcolm was staring.

"Perhaps." He said, his voice rising higher than normal, I looked at him not amused that he had yet to leave. "Perhaps, you two have no need to go before the Elders to confirm that this marriage was a good choice."

"Perhaps not." I said shortly.

"Miss Hayward." He said looking to Selene.

"Mrs. Wilshire." I corrected. She blushed again.

"Mrs. Wilshire," he corrected himself. "Has Mr. Cole Wilshire been a decent husband to you?"

"Yes sir he has." She said softly.

"He has _never_ hurt or upset you, not even _once_?" His face looked less than convinced, as though he was sure that she would say a spiteful or negative word against me. Selene did not hesitate a beat, one thing of many that I loved about her, when she spoke she was sure of her words; she didn't talk out of thin air nor did she ever say anything frivolous as most girls her age did.

"Cole has never, not even in the three years that I have lived here, ever said or done anything to upset me sir. As far as these past few weeks he has been a perfect gentlemen, I don't think anyone could ask for better."

_She really thought that? _I smiled to myself, very pleased that I had been successful in making her happy.

"You do realize that if I take this to the council it will solidify your marriage to Cole?" He asked.

"Please do. I want to be with Cole sir."

He nodded, giving me a look of suspicion. I smiled arrogantly at him; there was nothing that he or anyone could do now. Selene and I were together forever. I rubbed a hand on her back feeling the coldness of her skin under her clothes. "Are you alright? You're freezing."

"I'm scared." She admitted, her eyes looked up at me, the hazel color looked browner in the dimness of the room, but it was still exquisite. "I have lost family to vampire hunters; I can't bear losing anyone else, especially you."

"Selene, I will be fine." I assured her. "You heard Elder Malcolm, though I don't agree with his tactics, I do agree that he and the other Elders will be successful at destroying this monster."

"They weren't successful at destroying the hunter that killed my mother's parents." She mumbled.

I swept her hair back from her neck, kissing my favorite spot, the part of her jaw that fell just below her ear. Her skin smelled sweet of coconut and was soft like baby skin. "What happened to them was a terrible tragedy Selene, but the attacker was said to have been a random person who reacted poorly when your grandfather confided their secret to him."

"They still never found who did it." She said her voice hoarse. "I know that hunter knew about my mother, what if they found out about me too, this could be the same attacker."

"I don't care who it is." I said, fishing for something to comfort her. "No one is going to get hurt again, I promise." I kissed her temple. "Come, we have to get back to work." I took her by the hand and we went back to the store front, I was less than pleased to see that Trevor or Turner or whatever and his father, Curtis Anderson. "Hello, your both back soon."

"Well, we heard the commotion go out in the center square of town and went out to see what was going on; unfortunately we missed everything." Mr. Anderson said. "What happened?"

"Just a few kids screwing around." I said shoving my hands in my pockets as I leaned against the counter. "Nothing too drastic."

"I saw Valerie leave here, she looked out of it." The boy said looking at Selene, ignoring I was even there.

"She apparently had something personal going on." My voice was icy.

The boy's jaw tightened. "I was unaware that Selene lost the ability to speak when she was around _you."_

"Tanner." His father said to him, his look was stern then it flashed back to fake happiness. He slapped a hand on Tanner's shoulder then guided him over to me so he could put his other hand on my shoulder. "There is no need for you boys to not get along. You'll have to excuse my son, he was not happy about how all this business with this shop turned out, you understand, it will just take a little getting used to for him that's all."

"Of course." I agreed. _You don't have to deal with the boy long, wait for the school year to end and he will be gone._ I told myself.

"So," Mr. Anderson said changing the subject. He looked around the empty store. "Why don't we all take a few minutes to get to know each other hmm?" I looked back at Selene who had an expression on her face that let me know that last thing she wanted to do was talk. She was a very private person. "Selene, what college are you going to in the fall?" He asked her. She shifted around on her feet.

"I wasn't planning on going to college. I was going to continue my work here." She nibbled on her lip.

"What?" Tanner said. "Selene are you serious? You are like super studious and smart and could get into any college you wanted. I mean, this place is great and all but how are you going to make a decent living working here for very little money, trust me, I know what the discussed pay is like." He shot a glare at me.

"I am taken care of thank you." She said. "I would like to talk more, but I am behind on my work, if you'll all excuse me." She nodded toward the Andersons and gave me a secretive smile.

"Lovely girl." Mr. Anderson said once she left. "How is it you two know each other?"

"Lovers." I said shortly following her lead and heading to the back, ignoring any further questions that either of them might have.

_Why must people always find the need to have small talk? _Both of them unnerved me. The boy was not stupid and was relentless, he could end up finding out more than he should about me and Selene, he would have to be dealt with if he pushed any further. But the father bothered me more; the boy was naïve and could easily be scared off if I put my mind to it, but the father, beneath his exterior was something that I could not quite put my finger on.


	19. Bad Goodbye

**Chapter 19 Bad Goodbye**

_Selene_

Arms wrapped around my waist and I felt Cole's lips on the back of my neck, pecking the spots under my hairline and below my ear continuously.

"We'll get in trouble." I whispered coyly, looking around the backroom of The Teahouse to make sure that no one had followed Cole to the back. I could feel his lips turn up in a smile against my skin.

"Who is going to punish us?" He teased. "Besides I left them a little speechless up in the front, I don't think either Tanner or his father is going to bother us anymore." He rubbed my arm with his fingers, and then traced patterns against my back causing chills to rise up my spine. When I shuddered I heard him chuckle in satisfaction.

"Why is that?" I breathed, trying to concentrate on painting a pink rose on a teapot.

His body tensed a little but he kept his voice light, as though he was afraid that I would be upset by his answer. "They just wanted to know about the two of us, meaning our personal relationship and I told them."

"You told them we're married?" I asked in shock, turning to face him.

"Not exactly, I told them we were lovers." He said, he tried to keep his face somber, but couldn't help but smirk a little at my shock.

I felt heat rise up in my face from embarrassment. "Cole!" I whispered sharply, looking as stern as I could. _Does he have no shame? _He only seemed to enjoy my uneasiness as he pulled me tight to his body and kissed me fully on the mouth. His hands traced down my collar bone to the buttons of my sweater. At first I hadn't realized what he was doing, but then slowly it sank in that he was undoing each button slowly. "Cole, we can't." I whispered, half defeated already.

"Why not?" He only had a few buttons left now, and he was trying to sling the sweater off my shoulders. I only had a thin camisole underneath, as I heard my sweater drop to the floor Cole's hands went under the blouse.

"Anyone could walk back here." I whispered my breathing heavy.

"No one will come back here; even if they try the door is locked." I glanced over to see that he was right. The only door to the back room was shut and latched tight. Cole picked me up off the ground only to set me flat against the floor. He threw his shirt off over his head and closed the gap between us with his body.

Every time we were together it was new and adventurous, but above all sensual. I tried to keep quiet, afraid of being heard. He seemed to enjoy that and found even more pleasure in tempting me to do otherwise. His lips left trails of fire everywhere he put them. I kissed his neck softly, loving the scent of his soap that always lingered on me after he touched me.

….

We sat there wrapped in a quilt that was in one of the storage bins. Clothes were spread carelessly around us as I rested my head on Cole's chest and his fingers tangled in my hair. I got up to grab my clothes and finish work.

"No." Cole said, pulling me back to him. "Stay longer." He kissed my neck and nuzzled his face into my throat.

"If I don't finish tonight we'll lose money, these are supposed to be shipped first thing in the morning." I said looking up at the near finished tea set on the large painting table. Cole didn't seem to care if they were ever shipped; he held on tighter to me and buried his face in my hair. "I promise I'll be all yours when we get home." I assured him.

"We have to meet with the Elders tonight." He reminded me.

"Oh. Right." My mind went back to Elder Malcolm who was here just moments ago. Poor Valerie had been attacked by a hunter. All the vampires of White Waters would have to meet tonight at midnight, as all Elder and vampire citizen meetings were held. Who knew how long the meeting would last, it would all depend on what evidence the Elders found about the hunter and how hopeful that he or she would be caught. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"What do you mean?" He said absent mindedly.

"Do you think we will have to leave here?" I asked him honestly. He thought for a moment, unsure of what to say; maybe because he truly didn't know himself or maybe because he didn't want me to know.

He looked me in the eyes and smiled a sincere and loving smile that he only ever seemed to have for me. "I cannot tell you what the Elders will do. They stay true to the rules of the original Elders but beyond that they handle things as _they_ see fit. It isn't always the most logical or efficient method, and it certainly is not ever a method that I would ever follow, but they have never failed as far as I know. We have to have faith that everything will be fine."

I sighed. I hope it would. _My goodness I hope it would._

…_._

"Are you sure you two want to stay this late and ship the new products early?" Mr. Anderson asked again. Cole was getting exasperated with him; it was about the fifth or sixth time that he had asked that question. "I mean, they aren't even supposed to go out until tomorrow."

"We're sure." I said before Cole could cut in. He had a tendency to be a little less patient, especially with Tanner and his father. "Clients are happy when they get things sooner than expected; they recommend us to friends and colleagues who bring in more business. Plus it gives us a little leeway for delays in shipment which sometimes happen. Cole and I don't mind staying here at all." I hoped I had convinced him this time; we had to get him and Tanner out of here before the Elders arrived as well as before any other vampires arrive. It may have been too suspicious if about three to four hundred people of all ages just decided to arrive to the store after hours. As it was, we had several people arrive early and they all silently waited for the humans to leave so they could start buzzing with gossip.

"I understand keeping the client happy." Mr. Anderson said with a friendly smile, but his eyes were determined. "However it is a lot of work for only two people, maybe you should at least have Tanner stay with you and help."

"I sure could use the overtime cash." Tanner said with the same smile as his father, half joking, and half hoping that Cole would pay him extra if he allowed him to stay.

"We don't know when we'll finish." Cole said, beating me to the punch in continuing to talk Tanner and his father into leaving. "I don't want Tanner to have to stay here that late, it would be unfair to him, if its extra money you need perhaps I could find a little extra work for you elsewhere and give you a better hourly wage."

"Selene has been working here longer than I have, she deserves the break." Tanner responded. "Maybe you and I should take care of the shipments and let her go home early." _I'd like to see Cole get out of that one. _I turned to Cole and smiled in amusement where only he could see.

"Just the same." Cole continued. "Selene knows how to package the shipments and we will be faster with just the two of us working. I _would_ take you up on the offer…Tanner." Cole said trying to avoid calling Tanner Tyler or Tyson or something like that as well as trying to stay patient. "However I want to work quickly and don't have time to teach you how to box, label and ship everything properly. Maybe the next time."

"If you two are sure." Mr. Anderson said glancing at Tanner. He gave his son a look that told him to raise his white flag and surrender trying to sway either of us. "If you need anything just call and we will be over here in a jiffy."

"I'll be sure to do that." Cole said half sarcastically. Either they didn't catch it or they ignored it but Mr. Anderson smiled and waved to both of us and Tanner followed quickly behind, giving Cole one last suspicious look. Cole latched the door and drew all the curtains closed. No sooner than did Mr. Anderson drive away than did the sound of people talking came from the basement. "Come on, we better get to our seats." Cole guided me by the small of my back to Elder Hall.

The second we got in a lot of the conversations stopped as all eyes went on me and Cole. He, as usual, was unfazed as he took me to a spot toward the front. _Of course, we would have to walk through the entire hall so everyone would see us. _I felt blush rise to my cheeks as people whispered and stared at us. Valerie sat in the middle with her parents who comforted her. She gave Cole a shaky smile that showed she was grateful for his kindness earlier.

Once we sat most people went back to their own conversations, but a few still spoke about me and Cole.

_Why on earth would that man want to marry that child?_

_He probably liked the idea of a young wife._

_Hmmph._

_I wonder why she accepted him; my son goes to school with her and says that a lot of the boys there wanted to be with her, the vampire boys especially. He says she plays hard to get and that they were all hoping to have a chance with her._

_Well it seems that that option is off the table._

_Yes indeed. My son and his friends were disappointed. _

_My friend's niece was interested in Cole; she went to school with him and swooned over him._

_I wonder what she saw in him._

_I wonder what there married life is like; I doubt he is a proper husband._

_I bet he'll get bored with her._

_Let's just hope she doesn't end up like Lena, the poor girl._

_I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall one night in their home._

_Here. Here._

"Ignore them." Cole said when he noticed my head was tilted toward the people, invested in their conversations. "They have nothing better to do in their mundane lives but be jealous of others and gossip about them behind their backs. If they had any dignity or self respect they would realize that we could hear them, and that they have no idea how our marriage is far superior than any of theirs." I smiled when the room went silent. Cole had been loud enough to make sure that he would be heard, and he was.

The room filled fast, person after person, family after family all entering into Elder Hall. Many were frightened for what happened earlier, and many others were ready to put in their two cents of how things should be handled. Uncle Matthew came in sitting toward the back. He would not look at anyone, though many looked at him. I hadn't seen him since the day after Cole and I were married when he all but accused Cole for being a rapist, and I had to assure him that Cole was first and foremost a gentleman.

The Elders, as could be predicted, were the last to enter. The filed in like ducks in the sky, a v shaped formation with Elder Malcolm at the front. They took their seats silently and Malcolm banged a gavel against his desk. "We call this meeting to order. Silence everyone." Immediately the room was dead quiet. We could hear the heartbeats of the small night animals from outside. "This is how the meeting will proceed; anyone who violates these orders will face consequences. I and my fellow Elders will present everything we know about the attacker as well as what we plan on doing to avoid anyone being killed. We had a close call today, one of our own, a young girl no less was nearly killed by a stake. A month or so ago, another attack occurred outside of White Waters, the victim was not so fortunate." Gasps went through the crowd; I looked at Cole in slight worry. He did not look back at me but he did take my hand. Elder Malcolm waited a moment for people to be silent again before continuing. "We experience attacks outside of White Waters every so often, but inside our community is unprecedented, not to mention that the killer left a note stating that he knew where we were and that the attacks are not going to stop. We have every reason to believe that this person has intentions to kill us all." The silence was now sickening.

Elder Henry spoke next. "The culprit is far from stupid." He said. "He or she has left no hair, fingerprints or any other DNA. The only thing we can do is assume that this person is a human and that they are here, which narrows it down to about four hundred people. As you all know there are as many of them as there are of us so we have to be careful in whom we trust, for all we know this hunter is not attacking alone and could be gathering the people of this town against us."

"That being said." Elder Malcolm continued. "Keep a distance from the humans. Those of you who work with them or are on friendly terms keep things casual but pull away a little, I am sure many of them are just as suspicious as to why someone would choose a stake as a weapon. Travel in pairs at the very least and lock your doors and windows. We have nothing further and are opening the floor for questions."

Valerie's father stood first. "Who is your prime suspect?" He asked.

Elder Henry spoke again. "When researching the contents of the note we found that it was mailed from a public mailbox just outside of Orlando Florida. Currently we have two new comers in town from Orlando, a Mr. Anderson and his seventeen year old son Tanner. They came here wanting a business opportunity which just so happened to be The Teahouse, the shop just above Elder Hall, things are looking grim for their innocence." He finished with an authority that had almost everyone wanting to attack the Andersons now.

I gave Cole a look of concern but he stayed poised. "However," Elder Victor said. "We have stated moments ago that the hunter is not stupid, if he was keeping track of White Waters he could have known of the Andersons wanting to come here and could very well be attempting to frame them to throw them off of his trail."

"That's correct." Elder Jones said. "We cannot assume anything to be that answer until we have further proof. If we waste our times with this man and his son and attacks keep happening then we will not be doing our rightful job to keep the peace. However, they are suspects who are looking less than guiltless, we are going to send a professional investigator to question them and we are going to have an associate go into their home when they are not there to search their things. Until then we suggest that everyone follow our rules to stay safe."

Valerie's father became angry. "My child was almost killed and this is the best that you can give us? How am I supposed to comfort my frightened daughter with these answers?"

"Halcyon Vogel." Elder Malcolm said to him, using his full name the way a father would a young child in trouble. "You will keep your place. Your daughter will be safe, the best thing you can do for her is to make sure that she doesn't travel alone as she was today and that she remains cautious, I am aware that she is friends with two humans and that she is friendly with Tanner Anderson."

"So this is her fault now?"

"No." He said. "But these are my orders, and I suggest if you want to continue being at your daughter's side you sit down and silence yourself." He did, but he was still fuming.

One thought ran through my mind. Uncle Matthew. He lived alone, always traveled alone even when I lived with him, and he had his own private office at work, what if the hunter got him. Yes I was angry with him but as much as I hated it I still loved him, even if he didn't love me back. I would be heartsick if anything happened to him.

"Does anyone wish to say anything further?" Elder Richard asked. No one stood, frightened after Valerie's father was reamed.

I stood, Cole's hand still held onto mine. "Sirs."

"Yes Mrs. Wilshire?" Elder Malcolm said.

"What about the vampires who live alone, what are they supposed to do?" I asked. "They may be in the most danger of all; the hunter would surely attack them first wouldn't they?"

"So we thought my dear." He said. "The past attacks were that way, with the exception of young Valerie Vogel, however I do not know about the vampires who live alone here. However, now that you have brought it up I would like to tell all of those who do live by themselves that it would be in your best interest to find family and friends to stay with for your protection. If not, you are putting your own lives in jeopardy." He nodded toward me and I sat.

Cole put his arm around me and kissed my temple.

"Anything further?" Elder Malcolm asked. After a few moments no one said anything further. "Meeting adjourned."

We filed out few at a time, most people mingled, I made a beeline toward Uncle Matthew when I was him leave. Cole stayed close behind. "Selene!" He said.

We were outside when I called out to him. "Uncle Matthew." He stopped but did not turn. He stood at his car. "Uncle Matthew, maybe you should stay with me and Cole. If not you could be killed." I pleaded with him.

Cole stood behind me, I looked to him to see that he wasn't pleased, but he did not object. He put a hand around my waist. Uncle Matthew spoke. "I have been taking care of myself far before you and Cole, and I intend to do so after you. I am declining your offer."

"Please." I begged. "Please, reconsider, it isn't safe."

"Neither is it safe for you to be with him." He turned and pointed at Cole. "But you told me very distinctly that you could take care of yourself—that you didn't need my input. Well same goes for me, the last thing I need is for my young and ignorant niece as well as her psychotic husband to take pity on me and let me stay with them."

"Watch your mouth Matthew." Cole warned stepping forward, I tried to block him. "I told you once and I tell you again to not say another terrible thing to upset her."

"Cole please." I said. "Don't fight." I turned to my uncle. "I'm sorry if I hurt you—and I forgive you for how you hurt me; I know I may not have made that clear before. Please, let bygones be bygones and stay with us."

"No." He got into his car and did not look back. I watch until he was no longer visible down the road.


	20. Knowing

**Chapter 20-Knowing**

_Tanner_

I sat in the kitchen peeling an orange. _I don't know what Selene sees in him. He is arrogant, brash, aloof and rude—not to mention that he has to be at least five to ten years older._ I looked around the tiny kitchen, the house that dad and I were in now was not as big as the one we lived in when we were in Orlando, most of the good houses had been taken, but it was still nice. I missed being in Florida though; it was so much warmer and nicer. _But there is a reason we are here. _I thought.

I couldn't bring myself to say the word. The word that made mom divorce dad once and for all when she got so tired of his secret passion. The word that led her to marry Duke, the lawyer from Connecticut with two houses; one on the east coast and the other on the west. The word that caused us to have to leave Orlando and practically live a double life.

_Vampires._

I can't believe I thought the word.

It wasn't that I _didn't _believe dad about vampires, he had done research over them for years. Apparently holy water, crosses and garlic were not weaknesses; nor was the sunlight. Not to mention that they looked like normal people, except for being stunningly beautiful. Dad said that there was a lot here in White Waters, that his research led him to this hidden haven of an island not marked on a most maps. That's why he was so invested in the Teahouse; he said that there was something odd about it. A year ago, when he casually visited White Waters he witness about four hundred people go into the tiny shop all dressed up, then a few hours later they gradually came out. He said that ever since then he just had to know what was inside it.

You see, when dad was in high school he saw this guy actually drinking from a girl's neck one night after a football game. He knew the guy as this really wealthy kid with well off and influential parents. When he looked closer he said he saw actual fangs, and then he saw the guy flash away, as though he ran so fast that he was invisible. He kept tabs on the guy for years watching him at school and investigating his family. It wasn't until he received a threatening note, one that he has to this day, telling him to back off. He left the kid alone, but ever since then, vampires have been his passion in research.

A lot of the time I believed him, mostly because the stories he said were interesting. Sometimes, however he frustrated me; it was like he was more interested in the vampires than he was anything else. _I guess mom thought the same thing, or she wouldn't have left._

I sighed. Lately I believed it more than ever now, and all because of Cole Wilshire. Maybe it was because I wanted to believe that he was some bloodthirsty vampire just so I would have a reason to hate him, and just so I could convince Selene once and for all to stay away from him.

But he had to be a vampire. He was handsome, wealthy for such a young age and had the qualities that dad said vampires just had. He just _had_ to be one. This meant that if he was one, he was probably manipulating Selene. _Poor sweet Selene, she probably thinks that vampires are just beings that are in books and movies; she probably has no idea that they are real_. And Cole Wilshire is using some kind of vampire allure to seduce her, probably for her blood.

The thought made me retch.

Dad came in. "Still bothered by Cole." He said sitting down with me. Dad was bothered by him too, otherwise he wouldn't have asked, he would have disregarded my dislike as plain jealousy. This was partly true.

"I don't like how close Selene has gotten to him. She thinks that he is this great guy and he isn't." I whined. _If she wasn't so fragile maybe she wouldn't need a guy like him._

"I can agree to that, he is a sinister man, but we have to be careful. Going around and telling people what we suspect will only cause them to spread rumors about us, and if the vampires find out about us we could be in grave danger."

"I think we should tell Selene." I said. "She deserves to know the truth."

"No." He said. "Not until we know about Cole for sure, we don't want to make any mistakes, we have a duty son. Besides, we don't know that she _doesn't _know about the vampires. For all we know Cole is a vampire and has told her everything; we tell her what we know she could go running to Cole. The last thing we need is hundreds of vampires at our door to make us disappear."

"Selene isn't stupid, she will trust me." I tried to convince him.

"No." He said. I sighed, and then remembered Valerie, how dad said that she was a vampire too. He said that the kind of power she has over people is the only explanation. He told me that vampires are born leaders. I just thought she was a stereotypical popular girl; until today, she knew what was coming to her today.

"Valerie survived, only barely. I guess you were right about her." I said, my mind going to watching the stake only missing her by inches.

"Yes, we will have to be more efficient next time. We can't let ourselves make the mistake again." I nodded my mind back to Selene. _There has to be a way I can get her on our side, she can help us get to Cole._

"We need to find a way to get to Cole." Dad said, nearly mimicking my thoughts. "He has a name that I came across in my findings, Wilshire; I think it is an old vampire name. He probably has ancestry that goes back for centuries; if we can get him then we can get a little power."

A hard knock came to the door.

Dad got up to answer it. He came back into the kitchen with a large man behind him. He wore a light colored trench coat and a hat that made him look like detectives in cartoon strips. "We need to speak about a few things." He said. He flashed his badge to me. "As I told your father my name is Detective Hyde."

"As in Jekyll and Hyde?" I asked lightly. The man quirked an eyebrow but did not say a single word. Suddenly I felt about two inches tall. I sank into my chair as the detective and dad took their seats.

"You said this involves a murder investigation." My dad said. "How can we help you?"

"Earlier today a young girl was nearly killed, when surveying the witnesses we found that you two were supposed to be in the area working at The Teahouse, a local boutique, but neither of you were there during the attack."

"That's true." Dad said. "However our employer and owner of the shop Mr. Wilshire had let us take an early break, my son and I went for a walk around town. Are you suggesting we had something to do with it?"

"Where around town did you walk?" He said, ignoring dad's question.

"We went through the woods; this town has the most remarkable scenery. My son and I have not had a chance to really enjoy our time here since we came; I have been busy with some business." He smiled and leaned back in his chair trying to appear casual, but I could tell he was nervous.

"Yes you wanted ownership of The Teahouse itself. Why is that?" The detective asked.

"What does that have to do with a murder investigation?" I asked. I got another look from him that was meant to intimidate me into keeping my mouth shut, but I wasn't going to bite. _We can't give him and inch; we have to keep as mush secrecy as possible._

"I am a businessman sir." Dad answered. "I have a friend who has purchased goods from the shop and said that it is one of the most successful stand alone businesses he has ever come across, I wanted to take the opportunity as quickly as I could, when I heard it was being sold, I leapt at the chance. Unfortunately a little mishap occurred with the previous owner and her daughter; I lost it to Cole Wilshire."

"Yes, that must have made you angry." Hyde said, scribbling down something on his notepad.

"I wasn't happy, but if the true owner promised the business to Cole, then it was out of my hands. It is rightfully his." _Smooth answer dad. _I thought smiling to the detective.

"Again what does this have to do with murder?" I pushed. "Valerie wasn't killed, and who knows who could have tried to kill her, tons of people could be guilty, and my father's business endeavors have nothing to do with any attacks."

"Not necessarily true." He answered. "An actual murder occurred a few weeks ago, and then a letter was sent to a citizen here stating that more murders were to occur. The letter came from you previous home town. It seems to be too much of a coincidence."

"That makes no sense!" I shouted.

My father gave me a look and then spoke. "Why would I threaten to kill someone and then come right in here and try to pull myself off as an ordinary citizen? Wouldn't you think I would try to hide off somewhere if I was a murderer? I think I better contact a lawyer before this goes any farther. I will not be interrogated in my own home, especially for a bizarre accusation about being a cold blooded killer. You have no proof I did anything, all you have is assumptions. I think you better leave."

The detective got up and looked to both of us. "I apologize if I disturbed you, but you have to understand with an event like this the best thing to do is to approach the most likely suspects. You were previous residence of where the threatening letter came from, and then soon after you get here someone is almost killed in the way that the murder I am investigating was terminated. Not to mention you could have some motive for being angry since your business endeavor failed." He paused for a moment. "We are questioning everyone who wasn't present for the attack earlier, and just want things to be safe here." Even as he tried to assure us, I could see in his eyes that he was thinking we were guilty. He stepped out of the house, dad waited to hear his car pull away before speaking.

"We'll have to be more careful." He said, getting up to poor himself a cup of coffee.

"Do you think he was one of them…a vampire?" I asked.

He nodded. "If he wasn't he must work for them. He is too close to finding out." He said nervously. "I have worked too hard to find out all that I have to be driven away; I'll have to think of something."

"He knows why you wanted The Teahouse, and that note sure didn't help at all." I said.

"He may just be bluffing about the note, and even if he's not do you know how many people are in Orlando, he has no proof."

"But it still doesn't look good." I said. _I don't want to move again. _We already had to move from Orlando because dad told a couple of people about the vampires and they thought he was crazy. He was really upset about it until he found out about White Waters, a hidden haven as he called it. A quiet small town that just happened to be one of the wealthiest towns ever known. Dad said that that just didn't add up, how can a humble town be so incredibly wealthy; unless century old vampires lived there.

"It may not look to good." He said. "But they still have nothing, we will have to be careful and act natural. Especially at work, we can't go lurking around for hidden passage ways or asking too many questions."

"Okay."

_Selene_

Cole was angry, but he was trying to pretend that he wasn't.

"You didn't hit him." I said, we were driving through the last stretch of road before home. I remembered weeks ago when Uncle Matthew had come by, and Cole had threatened him saying that if he ever upset me again he would break his jaw. Now here we were, moments after Uncle Matthew rejected my help and had hurt me yet again. But Cole did not hit him, even after he said that no matter how much I pleaded he would not stop.

"It went against my better judgment." He admitted. "I don't go back on my promises or threats, but this was different. If I had hit him the only thing I would have achieved would have been you hating me."

"I don't understand."

"You wanted him to stay with us, for a moment I thought he would actually consider the offer. However, even after he declined I know that hitting him would solidify his decision and that he would never stay with us who would only make you upset; me being the reason. If you're upset with me, then I lose everything I've done to get you to trust me. My not hitting him was merely for selfish purposes." His tone was deadly serious, but he added a half smile to me to lighten it.

"I wouldn't have hated you for it, or been angry with you." I said.

He nodded once, not entirely convinced. "I'll keep that in mind." And after a moment of silence he spoke again. "I want you to stay away from Tyler."

"You know his name is Tanner." I said. "Why?"

"You know why Selene, you were at the meeting same as I was. I don't care whether he and his father are nor are not the hunters; until we know for sure stay away." He said.

"What are we supposed to do, we work with them." I pointed out gently.

"The shop is getting to its busiest time of year, a lot of tourists will be coming to the cabins by the water soon for summer vacation, and you'll be safe whenever I'm not there. In the meantime I want you to let me take you from school to work, work to home and so on; just until they're caught."

"Do you think it is them?" I asked.

"I've had suspicions that they know all about vampires, and that they suspect me of being one. Not just anybody wanders through the woods behind our home. I think they might have been about to confront me if it weren't for you being there." He said, parking in the garage.

I rested my head back. "I don't know what to think anymore." I said softly. "I just hope this all ends soon; I can't bear to lose anyone else in my life. I stepped out of the car and Cole was by my side immediately. He took me by the hand and walked me up the path to the tiny light that we left on in the kitchen.


	21. Desires and Disappointments

**Chapter 21-Desires and Disappointments**

_Cole_

She stood out on the balcony, I could tell she was still upset over what had happened with Matthew, and I wished that there was something I could do to change that. I did not want him here, the last thing I needed was him over my shoulder in my own home constantly trying to challenge me. When she first made the offer I was a bit upset that she had not consulted with me first, but I understood and respected her love and loyalty to Matthew. I was seconds away from ripping his throat out for hurting her again, but I had to think of what Selene would want, not what I wanted. _She's changed me more than I had thought. _

I stepped close behind her, but did not touch her, though my shirt barely touched her blouse. She did not turn to look at me as she normally would have. "You shouldn't be out here alone, Jeffrey or Tanner Anderson could easily target you from the trees if they wanted." I said, using the first name of Tanner's father for the first time. She did not seemed frightened as the prospect, though I did notice her head move slightly from left to right, as if to scan the trees and ground below for any suspicious movement. I did the same, and noted that there was nothing more than the usual night animal, arising from their sleep as all the other creatures of the day nestled in burrows and nests for the night. The moon was high above us, almost completely full.

"We don't know that they are the hunters, it's just being assumed." She said. She wrapped her arms around her body, staring far out into nothingness now. I mentally exhaled. She did not seem to care for Tanner very much, and she also seemed to sense the same façade of joy that his father liked to put on. She had not seemed to care for _that_ either. Yet for some reason she was not letting herself believe what was painfully obvious, even if the proof was limited, though I decided to bend a little for the sake of comforting her.

"True, but as was said before, they are the most likely suspects." I said. "Every human in this town has been background checked and is periodically looked into as to make sure that they are not catching on about our race Selene. Unless there is someone that is lurking in the shadows and shooting stakes at people then I cannot think of any other person that could be doing this." It was true, we as vampires made it a point to know the human citizens on a personal level, unknown to them of course. It was not as though we wanted to, but it was a safety precaution.

"I suppose." Her voice was distant, as much as she trusted me more now than before, it was still not enough to make her come to me with what was hurting her, rather than me going in and finding out for myself. However, I found it more beneficial to investigate rather than ignore it.

"What's really bothering you?" I asked. Touching the ends of her hair, I noticed how fast her hair grew, and how it lightened as it did. Typically she kept it right below her chin, but now it had grown long enough to touch the top of her collar bone.

She would not answer. I closed the gap between us, resting my chin on her shoulder.

"It's nothing." Her voice almost broke, she was very near confessing. One last little push.

"It's Matthew." I said. I realized then that maybe she was simply tired of Matthew always being the problem in her life and thought that I might be exasperated with trying to pick up the pieces he always seemed to scatter across the floor. This of course, was not true.

"Not entirely." She said. "I'm tired of him—making me feel like _I'm_ the monster for trying to have a relationship with him. I'm worried for him yes, but that's not what's bothering me." I was surprised by this.

"Then what is it love?" I placed my hands on her shoulders. I massaged them slightly.

A long time passed between us. She opened her mouth several times to speak but then shut it again, trying to choose her words carefully, one thing I always appreciated about her; she _thought _before she spoke, rather than just running her mouth with nonsense. Though at times, it did prove to be frustrating, hadn't she learned by now that she could trust me with anything? "I was supposed to be safe here." She finally confessed. "My parents died, all other family either killed or unable to care for me, I was promised that White Waters would be safe for me. I don't want to find a new home again Cole."

"I should have realized." I admitted, angry with myself that I had not thought of that problem earlier. "And it will be safe here for you, this hunter is merely an oversight, someone who thinks that he is more powerful than us." I had not understood the extent of her fear until now, it wasn't the matter of _who _the hunter was, nor was it how her Uncle responded to her helping hand, it was simply afraid of having to start her life over again.

"He has to have some power, he killed before." She pointed out finally turning to face me. I took her by the hand and brought her inside. We sat in a large chair by the fireplace, her on my lap and a large blanket slung over us. She nestled her head on my shoulder while I placed my hands on her back.

"He went after an older vampire, one who lived alone and unaware of his presence. Things are different here, this person is outnumbered, with people who are prepared for whatever the hunter has to bring." I said. "I promise that you will be safe, and other than having to have me tote around town with you so we can follow the Elder's buddy system, nothing will change." She half smiled, playing with her wedding rings which hung around my neck.

"I am looking forward to getting to wear my rings in public." She said absentmindedly smiling fully now. Seeing her smile made me smile as well. It was like an involuntary reaction, when I would notice or watch her around town before we were together, I felt myself become lighter by her smile, and it was what pushed me over the edge in _having_ to have her.

"Me too." I brushed my fingers through her hair. "I think after all of this is over with the hunter you and I should celebrate."

"What did you have in mind?" She asked, seemingly excited. However in true Selene form, she kept her emotions within her, only letting bits of it surface; I looked forward to pulling more and more of it out through the years.

"Paris, Rome, London, maybe Barcelona." I listed off. "Anywhere and everywhere in the world you want to go, just say the word and we will go there for as long as you like as many times as you like. Perhaps we could even make one of these places a second honeymoon."

"I think I would like that." She said. Then she was silent for a moment, once again stopping herself from saying what was on her mind.

"Is there something else that you wanted?" I asked.

"I-have you ever…though about children?" She asked. "I understand that our marriage is new, and I am not asking to start now but in the future would you ever consider…having children?" She looked up at me, her hazel eyes seeming greener in the soft lighting of the room. _Uhhhh._

"To be honest I never really thought about children." That was a lie of course, when I was still waiting on finding out if Selene would be my wife or not I had considered the prospect of having babies and enjoyed the idea of how incredible of an adventure it would be; but now it wasn't as exciting, it was terrifying because now it seemed more real than ever. _How could I be a father?_

Now I chose my words carefully. She clearly, wanted to have children, and though she said no time too soon she failed to specify exactly when and how many of these children. I tried to picture myself as a father, and failed miserably. I could not imagine myself holding small bundles while they cried to be changed or fed, I could not see myself outside playing with a child or helping one with their homework in the evening. Though, when I put Selene into the picture, I could see her being a warm and gentle mother, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. _But what if I failed? _My own parents, who lived in France, were caring toward me, though they hadn't stayed here with me long after I was on my own, and we never had the closest of relationships. I didn't want that with my children, worse, I did not want to have children for the sake of making Selene happy and find that they were too much of a burden to bear.

"Oh." She said, clearly disappointed. _Splendid, I've gone and upset her worse._ "I never really thought about it either. I was just wondering, it seems to be the proper thing to ask, after all we are married and it might be something to come up in the future, I figured it was best to discuss it now."

"Selene, it is not exactly that I don't want children, but I don't want to make a decision and get your hopes up on a promise that I cannot keep." I told her.

"I understand."

"I don't think you do." I shifted her and placed my finger under her chin, forcing her to look me in the eye. "Please, I can tell that you have in fact thought about children, and not only thought about it but you want children. I want to be able to give you everything you want but something like this may bring more dissatisfaction than joy. I would hate to be the kind of man who feels pressured to be the ideal father and end up becoming distant with you and any child we bring in this world. I want you to have the best."

"Please Cole," she begged. "Don't think that this changes anything. I want you first and foremost and I want you to be just as happy as you want me. Don't think you have to explain yourself to satisfy me, I understand completely."

"Besides," I added, though in hindsight I should have quit while I was ahead. "You are too young to worry about children right now; you should wait a five or ten more years and be ready to understand whether or not you want children. You may change your mind down the road." Of course, I could tell by the way her eyes lit up when she spoke of having children, and the way her face dropped when I made it seem as though that was the one dream I could not fulfill for her, that the decision would never change for her.

_Matthew_

Sitting home alone never seemed so lonely. Had the situation been different, had Selene been married to anyone else or better, had she lived alone herself I would have taken her offer. But it was that damn Cole Wilshire; arrogant and having Selene wrapped around his finger that made me decide against it. Though now I regretted it. For one, I felt that perhaps I hurt Selene by rejecting her, when in fact my intention was to insult Cole. In the vampire world, one vampire rejecting the home of another is the ultimate of disgrace, it makes the potential host, in this case Cole, seem incompetent in trying to run his home. Secondly, being in that home would give me the chance once and for all to see what it is that has my naïve and innocent little niece so blinded by his power.

Her constant pursuit to get me and Cole to accept each other was slightly amusing though. It reminded me so much of her parents; she had her father's stubbornness though not quite to the extent of his ruthlessness and inconsideration for others, and her mother's heart. I remembered the first time I realized I was in love with her mother it was also the day where I knew I had lost her to my brother, though I suppose I had always been in love with her, I was just too young to recognize it.

_Rose was sitting on the porch swing her chocolate brown eyes sparkled with so much delight as she talked about wanting to become a writer one day. She showed me her notebooks filled with story after story all of different genres. Mystery, romance, thriller, and even lazy summer reads with no particular plots. She said I was the only one she showed them to. _

"_You're my best friend Mattie." She said. "I always feel myself when I'm with you." She touched my hand and I felt the electric shock of pure joy and exhilaration. In that single, simple moment I felt that as long as she was in my life I would be okay. "Writing these stories makes me forget about my parents, and showing them to you makes me want to keep writing. You make me feel happy again."_

"_I'm glad I can do that Rose." I told her. "You make me feel better about my parents too."_

"_Your parents aren't so bad." She said._

"_My parents are awful, it's a wonder Max and I haven't tried to get ourselves emancipated from them and live on our own. Lord knows him and I could take care of ourselves."_

"_Your brother seems really nice." She said. I should have realized by the glint in her eye that there was more to what she said than just complimenting my brother, but I was too focused on how badly I wanted to kiss her. How could I not realize how I felt about her before? She was the only person apart from my brother that I loved and trusted. But of course she was different from my brother in obvious ways. She made my blood run and pulse, she made my heart skip beats, and she made me think about something other than loathing the rotten luck I had in my home life._

"_Rose, I know you and I are good friends, but I was wondering if…"_

"_Hey kiddo." Max said addressing me, hopping up the steps toward us. He gave Rose a long look. "Hello Rose, I like that dress you have on." She looked down at her blue dress that was lovely on her, loose and tight in all the right places, extenuating her creamy skin with its bright color. _

"_Thank you." She gave him a brilliant smile, one that she had never shown to me._

"_Hey Matt, mom and dad are insisting we actually eat with them tonight, so we have to get going. Rose, you are more than welcome to join us." _

"_Please do Rose." I insisted, giving Max a look that let him know that _I _wanted her. He didn't see or pay attention to the look, he gave Rose a wink, the kind that worked on all the girls he used it on, and she laughed softly as he went back to our house. _

_She turned to me. "Do you think Max will like this one?" She asked me, flipping to one about the Huck Finn type of character. "I based him on Max; do you think you're brother will like it? I wrote it for him."_

"_He may." I said. "Though I will admit he has little appreciation for talent in any area." Please. Please don't fall in love with my brother. I thought to myself._

"_Oh I am sure you are just exaggerating." She smiled and kissed me off the cheek, then bound after Max, showing him the secret piece of her that moments ago had only been extended to me. I watched as I lost her._

Then I remembered the fight I got into with Max that would sever our relationship forever.

"_How could you Max, I trusted you!" I shouted. _

"_I never knew how you felt about her in my defense." He said calmly._

"_Now you do, does that mean that you will walk away from Rose forever huh Max?" I said. "You went to her guardians asking for her hand and they already have accepted. She wants to be with you now. How could you? You could have had any girl you wanted."_

"_I wanted her." Max said._

"_Why?" I questioned. "She was the only woman _I _ever loved; I wanted to be with her."_

"_You never jumped at the chance and I did." He said nonchalantly. "I love her for the same reasons you do, she is smart, beautiful and a special person to be around. And frankly kid, if she wanted you so much she could have had you. I never forced her to be with me, you were friends with her for ages before I got into the picture and she still chose me. Get over it. Find another girl because this one is mine."_

_I hit him. "How dare you?" I spat. "Treating her like she is some victory, like she is some trophy. You're supposed to be my brother you are supposed to be looking out for me."_

"_You are grown." He said. "If you still need me to protect you and coddle you then perhaps there is nothing more I can do. Rose is not some prize to me but I can see where you want to twist my love for her to seem that way to justify your selfishness."_

"_My selfishness?"_

"_Yes!" He said, getting angry now. "You talk about how I'm selfish because I won't give up Rose for you, but what about me? You don't care about my happiness; you would sacrifice me being happy just so you could have Rose. We are the same. Neither of us willing to give up the girl we want for our own brother. So the decision is left up to Rose, and she picked me."_

"_I hate you." I said. Words that I would never apologize for but always regret. I saw his face drop in hurt, and then he walked away from me._

I fought the last bit I could, going to Rose.

"_Rose, don't marry Max. Marry me, love me." I begged. I knew it was pathetic but I was desperate._

"_Oh Mattie." She said. "I do love you, but not in the way I love Max. I hate the way I sound when I tell you this but you need to understand. I love Max but you are still my best friend. Please, please don't let this ruin that."_

"_I can't stand by and watch you be with him."_

"_Mattie."_

"_It's him or me."_

"_I'm sorry Mattie." She said, crying now. I looked away ashamed of the ultimatum, but knowing the truth of the fact that I would not watch him be with my Rose. "It's Max. I want to marry Max. I want a life with him, but I want you there too."_

"_No. You've chosen him, we're done."_

I would not go to the wedding. I would not see the birth of my only niece, nor would I visit. It wouldn't be until thirteen years later where I would meet the young distraught Selene clutching a black kitten that I would ever see any part of my brother or deepest love again.

The doorbell rang, breaking through my thoughts. I answered it, wondering who would be there so late an hour.

No one was at the door. But I heard a swipe go through the air, and felt something hard hit me in the chest, and send a fire through my body.

Then everything went black, the last thing I remember seeing is Max, Rose, and Selene standing together.

The family I could have had.


	22. Hidden Feelings

**Chapter 22-Hidden Feelings**

_Selene_

Cole had grown accustomed to me. Typically he was a light sleeper and in the beginning anytime I would move around at night to go to the bathroom, or get something to eat or even out for a walk I would wake him up. Now as I crept gently out of bed I made sure not to do the same tonight. I needed a moment alone.

It was not that I didn't want Cole's help. I knew he was concerned out of love, but I also knew he would go to great lengths to please me, especially now and I just wanted a moment to think.

I went downstairs to use the phone in Cole's office. I had not been in there since I had found the truth about Leah, I came to find out his office was like a small boy's club house, and it was his private and sacred place to think, so I made it a point to not be in there at all. I do not even remember thinking about it but before I knew it I was dialing the old number of my home phone when I lived with my parents. It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

I did not know what I was expecting. Did I really think that mother or father would answer? Did I really think that I would hear their voices on the phone? I didn't think that, but I hoped it. I wanted to hear father talk about his day at work, he always had some wonderfully thrilling story to tell. I wanted to hear mother tell me how she tried some new international recipe she found in an old book at the library, and how much she hoped that my father and I would enjoy it for dinner. I wanted to hear myself answer the phone annoyed that someone interrupted my sleep in my old pale, pale yellow painted room with the bright bed spread and blue curtains, and the one window pain that did not match the rest because I broke it when father was teaching me how to throw a softball, we neglected to have someone volunteer to catch the foul balls.

I wanted to hear my parents ask and make sure I was feeding Onyx and doing my homework. I wanted them to meet Cole and tell me how much they knew he loved me. I wanted them to tell me that it would all be okay again, that they would talk to Matthew and make everything better, that maybe they would even talk to Cole about rethinking us having a child one day.

But I knew no one would answer.

I hung up. Moments after I did I dialed another number. Uncle Matthew should still be up at this hour, he never did sleep much. The phone rang on just as repetitively as it had when I called my old number. _He has caller id, maybe he knows it is me and does not want to talk to me._

I hung up again. _Why am I fooling myself? _It was not that I was really hurting about my parents, or even Matthew. I had learned to heal from my parent's death and knew better than to rely on Matthew for comfort. What really hurt was Cole saying he did not want to expand our family. Because _I _wanted to come home with stories about work, because _I _wanted to cook international recipes for my husband and children, because _I _wanted to teach my child how to throw a softball and how to tell them to be careful not to throwing them toward the windows. And I wanted Cole to do it all with me.

I put my head down on the desk and sobbed.

_Will I ever have a real family again?_

…_._

_Cole_

The morning felt off.

First of all, Selene was hardly speaking. _Well more than usual._ I knew she was upset about me telling her that I did not want to have children. I still could not believe the words myself. I _had_ wanted children with her, but now it seemed like too much too fast. Did I really want to shepherd a child or two…or more when I have barely learned how to handle my own wife? It would not be fair to Selene or our children if I felt trapped in a world I was ill prepared for.

I figure out the window distracted my thoughts.

I should have known from the moment I saw great grandfather Jones approach the walk that something was wrong. It was not like him to just 'drop by' and visit; he was never one for small talk or for family gatherings. _Perhaps that is where I get it. _I thought to myself, a combination of bitterness and humor. I had many family members; cousins of all levels, aunts uncles and the like, but we all lived so far from each other, with the exception of me and Jones most lived as far from White Waters as possible. My father attributes it to their being too much pressure to follow the proper conduct of a vampire; regal, polite yet distant to our human acquaintances, and above all to play some kind of larger role in controlling the island of White Waters to protect our kind. I never saw the burden of having to live here, I was more comfortable here surrounded by my own than someplace distant like the lot of them where you never have an alliance of your own kind; not like I had anyone like that here myself. Except Selene.

Selene had been in the living room, her black cat curled in a ball on her lap while she read a book for class, pouring herself into it like it was her life's destiny to be an expert at the contents of her school book; she desperately was trying to distract herself with something other than the attacker and her uncle. I only wished my assurances that everything would be safe would be enough.

I answered the door before Jones had a chance to ring the bell. "I wasn't expecting you." I said.

"I was not anticipating making this trip, but it is imperative that we speak. Privately." I would have asked about what but his eyes made it clear that arguing or making an unnecessary remark was not an option. I had never been one to be intimidated, and I wasn't now, but I did know when my own strength was not enough to dodge someone like Jones. I stepped outside and shut the door behind me. "Perhaps we should walk further away from the house; it's something you should hear before Selene does."

"Selene is not one to pry into someone else's business. We're fine here. Besides, as my wife I have an obligation to tell her of the reasons of your visit. I don't keep things from her." I told him. If he was wanting me to harbor some secret I had to let him know that there was no way I would do it without Selene being a part of it too.

"It will be something that involves Selene, but I think she would react better to hearing the news from you than me." I froze. For an Elder member to not want to do something themselves meant one thing. Death.

"What happened?" I was serious now, my voice involuntarily low. _Perhaps it was best that Selene did not hear any of this after all._

"It's Matthew Hayward, Selene's uncle." He said. _Oh no. _"The hunter attacked him last night. Same as he had done earlier with young Valerie. A stake was shot at him, evidently with some kind of crossbow due to the impact on his body. There were no witnesses whatsoever."

"Who found him?" I asked. I pushed the thought of what his body could have looked like, a stake through it, draining him of life. It sent chills down my spine. _A terrible and humiliating way for a vampire to go, at the mercy of some human who knows our weaknesses._

"A maid." He told me. "She had gone back to the house an hour after the attack. She apparently left her purse back at Matthew's and turned around to retrieve it when she discovered him in the front doorway. She called for help right away. Kent Bluestone arrived on the scene and contacted the Elders right away so the situation could be dealt with." Kent Bluestone was a vampire, he was a deputy on the police force and his father was the District Attorney, something that of course was not coincidental with White Waters. "Matthew is recovering at Elder Malcolm's home."

"Recovering?" I asked surprised. "He's not dead?" I felt the great hope ahead of me. If he was still alive I would quickly get the best help for him possible, I would do everything it took to get him back in good health. My hatred for him did not extend to wanting him dead, mostly because of Selene but also because there was no one really that I wanted dead, except the hunter.

"No, but the prospects are grim. As you know, Elder Malcolm's wife is trained at healing, perhaps the best of our kind, but even she does not see a good ending for him. I think you and Selene should arrive at their home as soon as possible."

"Yes of course." I said. _How will I tell her? She will be devastated._

"Do you want me to be there with you when you tell her?" He asked. I was surprised by his bit of compassion. It was so…grandfatherly. But alas I shook my head. Selene was very proper and she would not cry in front of Elder Jones, she had been raised, even by her parents to be dignified and demure with strangers and Elders.

I walked in the house. My feet felt like I was moving through thick molasses. I felt a heap of hesitation in my gut, and I wanted so badly to sprint in the other direction to avoid having to do this. She had stopped reading her book and was now idly petting her cat that leapt from her lap, patting toward me.

His lean black body rubbed against my leg. I picked him up only to set him back on the ground as I sat by Selene's feet. She rose slightly; like a cat ready to dodge a predator, in the armchair that we had playfully fought over weeks before. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Selene there was another attack." I told her carefully. I saw her eyes widen and then fill with tears though she would not let them fall.

"He's dead. M-my Uncle Matthew's dead, isn't he?" She sobbed.

"No!" I shot out. She wiped her eyes quickly. "But yes, he was the one attacked. He is being treated by Elder Malcolm's wife right now. They want us there right away…things are not looking good Selene." I stood up and extended my hand. "Hurry, we should go."

"No." She said.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"I can't." She said, her sobs uncontrollable now, though tears refused to fall. "I can't deal with losing someone else."

"You won't have to do this alone, I promise to be there with you, and you won't have to stay for long if that is not what you want." I had to change her mind, something deep inside me told me that if I did not find a way to get her to Matthew, and he died, that my little Selene would never be the same again.

"I do not want the last thing he tells me to be something filled with hatred or contempt. I would rather just stay here and not have to face him." She sniffed.

"Selene you can't really want that." I told her. "I think that if you don't go see him it will haunt you forever, this is something you can't fix if you make the wrong choice. At least you know if you go see him at least one more time you have done everything you can for him, after that he has to live with what he's done for all eternity."

"I have reached out to him on last time, last night when I told him I wanted him to stay here with us. I waved my white flag unnecessarily to try and reestablish something, _anything_ and he threw it back in my face. I should have listened to you from the beginning when you would tell me that I deserved better for myself, I deserve to not have to hear him tell me what a waste I was and blame me for a decision that my parents made. It is not my fault that father fell in love with mother and that she fell in love with him back. It is not my fault that Uncle Matthew had to watch mother, the only woman he loved pass him for his elder brother. I can't face him again."

"Maybe you should not visit him for yourself," I began trying a different approach. "Maybe you should see him for your parents. They would want you to be there with him if they couldn't. They would want you to see him and tell him that no matter what he says or does you still love him and cherish him as family. I don't believe that your Uncle Matthew hates you Selene. I just think he does not know how to love you. That does not excuse him behavior nor does it change my feelings toward him, but just the same I think we should go, if only for a moment. I do not want you to spend the rest of your life thinking 'what if.'" It was a low blow, one that I knew would work nonetheless, and I tried to make it as gentle as I could.

She thought for a long moment. Without a word she got up from her chair and went to the coat closet. She slipped into a simple knit brown sweater that was a bit large on her but still hugged her sweet and delicate curves wonderfully. She stood arms crossed and nodded. I rose up quickly and grabbed my car keys, not even bothering with a coat on this unusually cool day. I took her hand and noticed that though she did not pull away from me she did not grab me back either.

….

The car ride was long for such a short distance we needed to travel. The Elder's homes were all scattered among the woods, except Elder Henry who lived right in the center of town to keep tabs on gossip and proper behavior of our kind. His position as an Elder was mostly to make sure that no one slipped up or came close to trusting a human with our secrets.

Elder Malcolm lived in a surprisingly simple home, an opposite to the Wilshire House. It was a single story cottage with brick front and piles of wood stacked up against the side of the house. The chimney piped with grey smoke and the flowerbeds had big bright blooms of the season. The gravel walk crunched under our feet as we approached a very large wooden door, I hit it twice with my fist.

Elder Malcolm's wife Angela answered the door. "I am glad you came." She said, mostly to Selene rather than me. "Please come in, he is in the room at the end of the hall. Be gentle." The last part was toward me. Apparently the amount of privacy that not only I, but Selene and Matthew also kept was not enough to shield the fact that he and I had had our share of words to each other.

I led Selene to a closed door at the end of the hall. "I'm right here." I assured her.

She stared at the wall for a very long time, and I was unsure for a moment if she was going to go in, or if she was going to run for it.


	23. Revelations

**Chapter 23-Revelations**

_Selene_

Opening the door and stepping in to see Uncle Matthew might have been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I almost wished I had put up a bigger fight with Cole.

He was right to push me to see Uncle Matthew, but I still felt so resistant. I knew I was being stubborn and childish, but I could not help it. What good would my being here bring? There was no way I could heal him and no way I could say nor do anything to make things better. The damage was done. _Right?_

The inside of the cottage was quite different from the outside. The outside was simple, a cross between a log cabin and a Tudor style abode with simple earth tone colors and a manicured garden that was nice but far from spectacular. The inside was warm and elaborate. The ancient looking sconces seemed to be the only source of light. The floor was wooden and polished to look new. I recalled, as we passed through the living room and down the hall, that there were several Van Gogh paintings that looked like they could be originals, and furniture that screamed expensive. Matthew's room was just as marvelous. A huge four poster bed filled most of the room with dark gold canopies and a sapphire bed spread with gold detailing. A high ceiling had a golden chandelier hanging down the middle of it. My focus left the room when I zeroed in on Matthew.

He looked so…different. The man I had grown up with the last three years seemed to be gone. The tall, blonde man with a cleanly shaven face and perfect alabaster skin, the man who never went without tailor made custom suits, the man who looked strong in stature and in soul…was gone. Now he looked like exactly what he was. He looked like a thirty four year old man who never got to live the life he wanted; that was losing what little life he did have.

I took his hand and held it tight. I got no response; his eyes were closed and his breathing was jagged, as if he was trying to catch his breath after a long run but couldn't. I felt Cole pull a chair behind me and setting his hands on my shoulders so I could sit. He kissed the top of my head and stepped outside leaving me alone with him. I heard him speak to Elder Malcolm's, Angela wife behind me.

"I was able to drain most of the wood particles out of his blood." She said. "It was difficult because Malcolm and I had to keep replenishing him for every bit we drained. He was very weak and could barely swallow the blood."

"Thank you Mrs. Boroughs." I said, unable to really think.

"Please, no need to be so formal, you may call me Angela if you wish." I nodded my head but knew I would probable still call her Mrs. Boroughs, it just did not seem polite or proper to be so informal with the wife of an Elder; especially the Head Elder. "Right now he has been resting for the past few hours."

"Has he been responsive to anything?" Cole asked. He kept his hands on my shoulders, massaging them gently and rubbing my arms.

"Unfortunately he has not." She said, a bit of edge to her voice.

"What is it that you are not saying?" Cole pressed. My mind seemed split in two. I could not take myself away from my uncle yet I also wanted to give my full focus to Mrs. Boroughs and do anything I can to help the situation. _There has to be something I can do._

"You have been told already." Elder Malcolm said coming into the room. "The prospects are very grim for him. It is a miracle that he was even able to survive at this point; an attack has always led to immediate death."

"But he's not dead." Cole said. "This means that there is no way that we can say that he will not make it out of this. I would say that it is in your best interest to not give up on him because of what history has told us."

"Are you threatening me?" Elder Malcolm said.

"Yes." I turned, Elder Malcolm's eyes glazed over in anger. Cole looked as calm as always, almost psychopathic in a sense. As if nothing caused him to feel an emotion. Elder Malcolm stepped forward and pointed a finger in Cole's face. Mrs. Boroughs held his arm whispering for her husband to stop. She was unsuccessful.

"You listen here boy." He said. "Don't pretend to give a damn about Matthew. You are only interested in keeping your little wife happy. You have hated Matthew for years, ever since he first accused you of killing Lena, your high school girlfriend."

"Matthew was the first to accuse you?" I asked him.

"We'll talk about it later." He murmured to me, he was very casual about it but I could hear the strain on his voice. "You are right; my only interest is keeping Selene happy which is why I am here. If Selene was not in the picture would I care as much? Probably not. Do not get me wrong I would not want Matthew dead, but I would be a bit more indifferent considering our pasts with one another. Now, onto what I was saying before. This man," he said gesturing to Uncle Matthew. "Means a great deal to someone who means a great deal to me, and he is someone that reflects on our whole community. What would our people think if they found out that you let this man die because you felt history and fate could not be escaped? I think something like that would tarnish your reputation as a leader, wouldn't it Malcolm?"

"Cole." I said, wanting him to stop.

"You may be right about what you are saying." Elder Malcolm said trying to regain control. "However this does not change anything. We will keep on Matthew until he either recovers or—doesn't. But you will stay in your place Mr. Wilshire. I am warning you, it is in _your _best interest to keep that smart mouth of yours shut, otherwise you may find yourself unable to tend to Selene when you are serving time in solitude for insubordination against an Elder."

Most people would be visibly taken aback by being reprimanded by an Elder, but Cole just smiled. "I don't think there will be a problem." He said.

"There better not be." Elder Malcolm muttered, giving his final warning.

"Why don't we all step outside and let Selene be alone with Matthew for a few moments." Cole said. He gave me one last kiss on the cheek and the smile that he only ever shared with me; true, genuine and loving. As much as I needed the smile, and as much as I loved it, something about it was different. It was what I had caught glimmers of throughout my entire time of knowing Cole; he was hiding something, something I was not sure I wanted to know the truth of.

I couldn't worry about it now. I waited for them all to leave before I turned back to my uncle. I squeezed his hand. "U-uncle M-Matthew?" I called to him. "Please, please open your eyes." I begged him. I don't know when the crying started. It wasn't a gradual fall of tears that became heavier and heavier. It was like opening flood gates; the water poured out and rushed with more power than anything else. "You are too young to let go now. I know you've been angry about how your life has worked out but you can't give up. Please."

The silence was deadening.

Leaning forward in my chair I rested my head on the mattress and closed my eyes for just a moment. A hand patted the back of my hair; I looked up to see Uncle Matthew touching my head, smiling wearily. "You're okay." I whispered. I wiped the tears from my cheeks as quickly as I could and moved my chair closer. He tried to sit up but his body would not let him move an inch.

"I am surprised to see you here" He said. "I figured after our last round you would never want to speak to me again." He said, coughing hoarsely as he finished. I shook my head quickly.

"I guess I am just as stubborn as you are." I said teasingly, though I did not feel like I was in a very upbeat mood. I wanted so hard to stay strong for him, but as I did I felt myself shake harder and harder with emotion. _He has to make it through this. Even if we never see eye to eye on anything. Even if he hates me forever; he has to live._ He laughed lightly, and then even harder coughs followed. "Did you see who did this to you?" I asked, already knowing the answer was probably no. He shook his head in conformation.

"I am not worried though." He said. "The Elders' methods have never once failed." I wonder for a moment if he counted the way they handled my marriage to Cole in that statement, but decided not to press it, I could not do anything to upset him, his breathing became harder as he tried to speak again. "I may not… have a chance to… say this to you…Selene…"

"You don't have to say—"

"Yes I do." He said. "I am never going to take my feelings back about Cole. I do not trust him, and I think that you trust him too much. However, I do not want to waste this time on him. I'm sorry Selene. I'm sorry for the seventeen years I wasted letting my pride get in the way of everything. You did not deserve the way I treated you. I was angry that your mother chose your father over me and even that was immature. A real man; who loved his brother and his best friend would have stepped aside once the choice has been made and been happy for the two most important people in his life. If I wanted Rose that much I should have at least told her how I felt before the fact, not assumed that she would just know. My only regret is not being able to tell them how sorry I was and how much I miss them. I will not make that same mistake with you. I do care for you, and when I took you in it was not out of obligation. You had plenty other distant family and friends of your parents who could have taken you, I wanted you because I think subconsciously I needed to find a way to reconnect to that part of my life. Still, I wasted time, time I could have taken to really get to know you. I don't think it was until someone wanted to take you away from me that I realized that. My dislike for Cole grew out of jealousy. Apparently I become very pigheaded when a woman I care for in some way prefers the attention for another."

"I heard Elder Malcolm say that you were the first to suspect Cole for murdering Lena." I said. "But that's not what you told me the night Cole came to dinner, the night that he got angry that you refused permission. What is the truth?"

"The truth is that Cole was a nice boy, a little odd and preferred solitude more than one so young probably should but he was nice. He did well in school, never caused trouble and had a seemingly normal relationship with Lena. However I witnessed them arguing one day; I was supposed to be hand delivering a message to Jones Wilshire when I saw Cole and Lena talking together, or rather fighting. He was telling her that she needed to get her priorities straight and that she needed to stay away from Hull and remain with him. At the time I thought he was being protective for her, but when I found out about her disappearance, and the car was pulled out of the water I went to Elder Henry with what I knew. I did not think of it as accusation really, just necessary information; though it did end up getting twisted in to that I suppose."

Something struck me as odd. "Why would you go to Elder Henry of all people?" I asked. "He has the least power as a council member."

"Don't you know Selene?" He said. "Elder Henry was Lena's father." _Then that must mean he knows the truth about Lena, but had to keep it a secret like Cole said. _I couldn't believe that I never knew about this. I ignored it though. Lena was a long resolved issue that Cole and I had settled my first day at our home. What was important now was that I saw hope in him forgiving Cole.

"I know you think he did it Uncle Matthew." I said. "But what if you are wrong. Think of how terrible that accusation is." I tried to convince him. "I think you just want to think of him as the killer because you have nothing better to say to keep me away from him. Cole is sweet and gentle, I know he may not seem like that to everyone else but no one has been kinder to me than him since mother and father died." I knew that hurt him, and I hadn't meant to say it quite like that but it came out anyway, he seemed to understand.

"I do not find him guiltless Selene." He said. "However, out of respect for you I will learn to at the very least accept that you are a smart and strong willed girl who has made the best choice possible. Do to my own shortcomings as a guardian I have not been able to raise you properly which left you to figure things out for yourself. I am proud to say that you have done well with little to know upbringing on my part. I will just have to accept you and Cole together; he has after all, been better for you than I thought. He seems to care for you, protect you and pay attention to your needs, if I am wrong about him, whom I have to tell you I doubt, but if I am wrong; he is a good man." He said. I felt a wave of relief flow through me. "That is not to say," He added, "that I won't still be watching him like a hawk to make sure I still think he has potential to be a good man."

"That's alright." I said. "Father would have probably done the same thing." He smiled and shut his eyes again. It was the first time I had ever seen him really smile, I realized that he was quite the attractive man; if he could move past feelings for my mother and put himself out there he would be quite the catch. "Sleep well, and get better." I whispered. "Show them how stubborn Haywards really are."

He smiled again then dozed away. I got up to leave him alone, kissing him lightly on the forehead and dimming the light by his bedside. I shut the door behind me and went to the front of the house in search for Cole. He was sitting in an arm chair tapping his fingers on his thighs. Mrs. Boroughs chatted lightly trying to ease the tension that seemed to still flow from Cole to Elder Malcolm, though it did seem to have dwindled a little. Cole saw me and stood up.

"How is he?" He asked me. I knew he already knew the answer; having most likely kept his ear toward our direction to make sure my uncle was behaving himself.

"We talked for a while." I said anyway.

"He woke?" Mrs. Boroughs asked me. She stood in surprise as well as Elder Malcolm.

"Yes but he was still very weak from the attack." I told them, "but I think he is going to make it." I looked at the clock as it struck to noon, I had not realized I has been here so long, I must have fell asleep when I rested against the bed and not realized it. "Shall we Cole." I said, wanting to leave. He smiled and took my hand as we headed to the car. "Thank you very much for taking care of him, might I be able to come back to see him tomorrow?"

"Yes of course." Elder Malcolm said. I nodded happily.

Cole helped me into the car and drove down the road into town. Right passed out home. "Where are we going?" I asked him.

"I am taking you to school of course, or have you already forgotten that you still have three weeks of it left. You need to be in class to prep for your finals." He quipped. _Oh, right-reality._ I remembered.

"Why didn't you tell me Elder Henry was Lena's father?" I asked him. He tensed a little, as if he was hoping that would never come up. _But that doesn't make any sense. He said that-_

"Well." Cole began, interrupting my thoughts. "I did not think it really mattered one way or the other, it was something that just did not seem important in the story. Did Matthew tell you about it?"

"Well, yes he did." I said. "Not exactly in a way against you, in more of an 'I thought everyone knew that' kind of way." I could tell that this conversation would become a problem for some reason so I changed the subject. "You know he did say that he thought you were a good man, and that he would try to get along with you from now on."

"That's now exactly what he said." Cole said.

"So you were eavesdropping." I pointed out. Cole smile guiltily then nodded at something out the window.

"Off to school." He said. I looked and saw that we had already gotten there, people moved about. It was lunch so I would be able to blend easily and not go too noticed. "Do you need me to right you a note love?"

"I think I'll be okay." Cole leaned in and kissed me on the lips. His mouth was soft, and I could feel him touch my thigh gently with his hand.

"Have a great day." He breathed. I kissed him quickly again and hopped out of the car, dodging Cole's swiping hand to bring me back inside with him. I looked back at him over my shoulder flirtatiously, hoping not to come off to campy. "I'll get you later." He warned darkly, an evil smile playing on his lips. A month ago that would have frightened me to death, now though it still frightened me I knew I would not doddle on my way home.

There was one thing, one person rather that I had forgotten completely about. One person, who now that I did see him, I wanted to rip his throat out, or at least his father's if they were the ones responsible for Uncle Matthew. A blonde head bobbing toward me, signature sandals back on his feet flopping toward me. I expected to see a smile on his face as per usual but today he looked dead serious.

"We have to talk." He said grabbing my arm.

"Yes we do." We went to the back of the library where no one went. I opened my mouth to begin speaking but his words came out faster.

"What I have to tell you may shock you, but bear in mind that it is only to let you know exactly what is going on in this town. I am saying this because I consider you my friend and I want to help you." He sputtered. "Do you believe in anything being possible?" I gulped slightly, but did nothing but shrug my shoulders. "Selene, it is about your boyfriend, or whatever he is to you, Cole." _Oh no._ "He's a vampire." Oh no. If he knows about vampires…that must mean…it's true. Tanner and his father are the hunters. I had to get to Cole right away, he could be next. He would be next if Tanner and his father were not dealt with; until then I played dumb.

"Tanner, I think the lack of sun White Waters gets it getting to your head." I said. "If Cole were a vampire then how come he doesn't have fangs and loves Italian food, cuisine that is filled with garlic."

"Selene, all of that is myths made up by vampires themselves to help mask who they are." He said. "Cole is a vampire and he always has been. You see, vampires are born normally like humans, they look, and sound and act like us with the exception of needing a little blood and having a few abilities such as speed and strength.

"You're wrong."

"No I am not wrong." He said. "Look I don't have time to make you believe. The point is Cole is a vampire and I want to help you."

"I don't need your help."

"Yes you do, there are attacks that have been happening…" _No, stop stop please._ I mentally begged him. I was a vampire too. I had the strength to kill him with one swift blow to the neck. I could make it look like and accident. I could make it look like a terrible tragedy. But I didn't want to; I did not want to kill anybody. "If you don't let me help you Cole could be next."

_Wait, what? _"What?" I said aloud.

"My father and I are hunters—sort of. Technically we are hunters of vampire hunters. My father has been fascinated by the vampire race for years, he knows so much. There was this one guy in high school that he befriended and he helped my dad with tons of info. But then the guy died. My father dedicated the rest of his life into throwing everything he knows into protecting the vampires. It cost him a lot." He said a little bitterly. "But I believe in my dad and I've been helping him. Look Selene, Cole _is_ a vampire, one with long lineage; if you care about him as much as you say you do you have got to protect him. I think it will be easy to catch this guy, he doesn't seem to know how to track vampires, after all he tried to attack you uncle." _He and his father protect the vampires?_ But it made a little sense. I mean, Tanner thought I was human, but he also said he knew vampires were born into families naturally like humans. Which means that he would assume that my family was all human too, and he knows Matthew is my uncle, therefore he would not have attacked Matthew because they assumed he was human. _He could be lying._ But I don't think so. As he rambled on and on not even paying attention to whether or not I was paying attention, one question went to my mind.

If he and his father are not the hunters, then who is?


	24. Broken

**Chapter 24-Broken**

_Selene_

Either Tanner did not notice, or did not care that I had stopped listening to him. He went on and on about what exactly vampires were. I only cued in every now and then when he would say certain things; like when he mentioned that he knew about The Teahouse being a meeting ground, and how his father wanted it to help protect its secrets. And I listened enough to realize that was still giving no indications or slip ups that he thought _I _was a vampire. I had to get to Cole. I really thought that I believed Tanner, it just all added up.

"And about Cole," He said getting my attention. "Look, I don't like the guy; and I think he is a creep. I mean, he is like what, ten years older than you and brings you in to live with him. Plus he just seems to only care about himself a lot of the time, when he bothers to care about anything at all. Not to mention I totally think he is manipulating you, maybe for blood maybe for something else; whatever it is I don't trust him. _But,_ dad says that _that_ doesn't matter right now. He wants Cole to be safe just like he wants all the others to be safe. He keeps telling me that despite his attitude that Cole is a good guy who seems like the type people listen to. Listen Selene, if you can get him to believe us then we can really work together and stop this monster."

"What makes you so sure about all of this?" I said, trying to still play dumb. "You realize how crazy you sound; don't you think if Cole was a vampire he would have told me? I trust Cole and I know he would tell me something like that. Besides, who knows what this attacker wants, for all I know he is just some guy _thinking_ vampires exist and attacking random people. Even if it was true, and I am merely indulging you by saying this, what makes you think that vampires would trust you?"

"That's why I need you to believe me!" He said. "What if I am right? What if I am right and Cole is next, do you really want to live with the idea that you could have stopped it, that you could have saved him? Look, there is a slight problem with the fact that my dad and I are suspects. Apparently there is slight evidence that points in our direction but I think that we are being framed for it all; if we can get people on our side then the right guy can go down, otherwise the vampires will destroy us and the guy will still be out there. Look, the hunter is getting better and next time he may strike his target just as he wants, he missed Valerie but he nearly killed you uncle, though why he even attacked _him_ I still don't understand—oh my God."

"What?" My heart beat a mile a minute and my throat began to close.

"You-you're one of them too aren't you Selene?" He asked. His eyes were wide, and I noticed how blue they were. His mouth was agape in shock and it was as if he stopped breathing.

"What?" I repeated. _Just keep playing dumb._ But I knew that I was failing. I was a terrible liar, which is why I chose to stay quiet right now, the less I say the less I could incriminate myself.

"I don't know why I was so stupid." Tanner murmured. "It makes perfect sense; your uncle was attacked, being a vampire is something you're born into; which means if he is one… and then you and Cole…dad said vampires never married outside their race, it wasn't allowed. You worked at The Teahouse, the very place that is supposed to protect that Elder Hall. You're one of them too aren't you Selene?" He looked me right in the eye.

"I think you have been reading too many young adult novels." I quipped.

"I haven't heard you deny it." He accused, the usual lightness in his voice dissolved with his new frustrations. I felt a little bad at how desperately he wanted me to agree with him. "This whole time…all the signs were there. The secrecy you have, especially with Cole himself, how determined he was to get The Teahouse; and he gave it to you didn't he? Dad said something about Cole telling him that you and he would both be owners. Why didn't I see it?" He said, talking more to himself than me.

"I have to go home Tanner, Cole is expecting me." I said. He actually wasn't of course, I still had two more classes to get to, and Cole was not anticipating my arrival for another couple of hours. I walked away, but then I turned to him once more. "Listen," I said. "This town is very small and very private. When it comes to Cole, he is not a guy you want to cross by getting into his personal business. I cannot protect you from him if he thinks that you are going to interfere so much that you cause more damage than good. I can't tell you what this attacker wants or why, and I'm sorry if you and your dad are suspects. I hope that if you are innocent that you don't face any repercussions. But I can't help you with this, it's just too much."

"_If_ we're innocent?" He asked hurt. "Selene, you have to believe me."

"I have to go."

…

I all but raced home, not even bothering with the door, I leapt to the open window on the second floor and pounced inside. Onyx, who was stretch out on the window seat screeched in anger, he was not used to me just leaping through windows and disrupting his sleep. "Cole!" I shouted. I raced through the house looking for him. "Cole!"

"Selene?" He said worriedly. I heard him from his office. He came out and we collided a little, but he caught me in his arms then stretched them out to look at me. "Selene what is it why are you not in school? Were you attacked?"

"No." I said. "It's Tanner. He knows everything. He knows about you, Elder Hall and the Elders, he knows about me—everything. His father has been investigating our kind for years."

"Are you sure?" He asked calmly. "How do you know all of this?"

"He _told_ me." I said. "But Cole, wait. He said that he and his father were not vampire hunters. He said that they were hunters of vampire hunters. Tanner told me his father had a friend who was a vampire and that he was killed. Ever since then Mr. Anderson has dedicated his life to protecting our race, but he wanted to learn about it first before approaching us. I don't know if I should believe him."

"You don't know?" Cole said a little agitated, as if it was obvious that we shouldn't. "Selene—"

"I think I believe him because he didn't know that I was a vampire." I interrupted. "Not at first anyway. He knows vampires are born into the race, which means that if he thought I was human he would assume that all my family was human too, including Uncle Matthew. If he didn't think Uncle Matthew was a vampire he would not have attacked him. He figured it out though. When he was talking about the hunter, and how he thought that this guy was not very good because he didn't even nick Valerie and he hurt my uncle. He figured out that maybe Uncle Matthew was a vampire which would make me one too."

He let go of me and stroked his mouth and chin once, looking at a spot on the floor in deep concentration before moving his eyes back to me. "He is either telling the truth or is a brilliant liar and manipulator." Cole said. "And while I am not ready to clear his or his father's name, Tanner seems far from being the intellectual. I don't think anyone could pretend to be that ignorant."

"So what now?" I asked. "Either way he knows. If it is a lie we could be next…but if it's the truth…"

"No matter what the reasons are or what the answers to this whole thing is, the point is that they must be stopped. They cannot do any good in helping us. They need to know that vampires are more than just creatures in books and on television that make life more glamorous. They are getting in over their head."

"I know." I said. "But they are too stubborn to back down."

"That will be for me to deal with. I will call my great grandfather; I'll tell him that I will get the two out of town temporarily, if attacks continue, we will tell the other Elders that there is a new culprit and the Andersons will be in the clear. If they cease, we bring them back to face the council."

"But Tanner said that they were being framed." I said. "Cole we need to figure something out, but I don't know if this—" I did not get to finish. Cole put a finger on my lips to get me to stop talking. He caressed my cheek slightly, looking at me with a bit of regret. I moved his hand. "Look, Tanner is overbearing and a bit too nosy for his own good, but he is a really nice guy and I don't want him to get hurt over something he did not do." Cole's eyes flashed a bit of annoyance for a brief moment…_jealousy?_ But as quickly as it came it was gone.

"Selene, I do not think that this is something that we need to judge with our hearts. We have to really _think_ about this. I am not waiting for another attack to get into action. Perhaps the best way to handle this is to just tell the Elders everything you told me. Their judgment will be a bit better."

"But they will kill him. They will kill both of them without question…"

"This is finale Selene, unless you can come up with a way to get this situation under control where we can find out the truth about these two I am afraid that there is no way to resolve things the way you want to. I have to do what is best for you; I vowed to protect you and to follow you in all that you do. However you did the same for me, you vowed to be with me and trust me, I need you to stick to those vows and stay away from Tanner, your attachment to him is too much." I did not think letting the Elders handle it was the best thing, but I could not think of anything better, and he had a point when he said we needed to not think with our hearts; but I could not just do that, my heart was involved. Something was just not right, something did not add up. "I have some good news."

"What?" I asked.

"I got a call from Elder Malcolm. Apparently your visit to Matthew was the best medicine. He is able to walk and move about now. He is still very weak; his reflexes are slow and his senses are off, but Elder Malcolm and his wife say that after about two weeks or so he should be able to be back to normal." I beamed with delight. "The only negative is that he insisted on going back to his own home. The Elders were not happy about him going back home alone again, especially since he has already been attacked…they think it is just asking the hunter to finish the job."

"Well, why can't he come here?" I asked, hoping it would be possible.

"I have already tried to call him." He said.

"You have?" _So Uncle Matthew is not the only one who is going to try._

"Yes." He said. "He politely declined saying he would be more comfortable in his own home. He did say that he hired a human caretaker to stay there until he makes his recovery, so at least he won't be alone while he is weak. After that I don't know what will happen, hopefully the hunter will be caught by then and there won't be a problem."

"Maybe I should talk with him." I said. "He seemed to be really willing to fix things. I think I can sway him."

"You can try, but if he is any bit as stubborn as his niece we may have a problem." Cole teased. I playfully pushed him in the chest.

"I gave in to you didn't I?" I joked flirtatiously.

"You always loved me." He said, pressing his lips to my neck and kissing my soft skin. I did nothing but giggle sheepishly. "You're so sweet."

"I love you." I told him twisting my arms around his neck. He slid his hands up my back, tracing his fingers against my spine then pulling me close to him by the waist. I felt myself rise off the floor as he lifted me slightly, so that we were at eye level with each other. He set me on the counter placing my legs around his waist. We never broke from each other once. Until the doorbell rang.

I sighed in protest. Cole growled protectively, like a beast angry that someone disturbed him with his mate. I pulled away and ran my hand slowly down the side of his face. "We should probably answer that, it could be very important."

"I disagree." He said leaning in again.

"Cole." I said as the doorbell rang again, this time the person rang it repeatedly, exuding off a bit of impatience.

Cole went to the door, me close behind and let in Elder Jones. The look on his face was enough to make my stomach drop. His eyes were low, his mouth in a line and he would hardly look at me or Cole. My first thought was that something was wrong with Uncle Matthew, or that someone was attacked again, and killed this time. I inhaled deeply waiting for the worst as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Today, I bring you some news that is very disturbing. News that I hope can be kept hidden and quickly dealt with Cole." He said finally looking up at Cole. "I would hate for things to go sour with you after you have seemed to pick your life back up. However I will do what I have to as an Elder and not as your relative.

"What is it?" Cole said impatiently. But I could tell he was worried to. His arms hung at his sides, his hands balled into fists. The muscles in his jaw and neck were tight as he clenched his teeth together. I had the feeling that he knew exactly what Elder Jones was going to say, and that scared me more than anything. Because I knew that he knew, and for some reason I knew that this had nothing to do with the hunter, or Tanner and his father, or even Uncle Matthew. It had nothing to do with me. It was just Cole. The part of Cole that despite how much I loved him I still refused to trust. The part of him that he kept closed off, the part that when I would look into his eyes I could see the surface of, but never enough to find out the truth one way or the other.

"Cole." Elder Jones drew out slowly. "As you know there is a nearby island. It, for the most part stays relatively abandoned except in the summer during tourist season. On that island, is a cave where on occasion things from the sea get washed up and lodged in the rocks. Today, a hiker was going through the cave and found the remains of two bodies."

"What does this have to do with me?" Cole said his voice suddenly hoarse.

"The bodies were that of Lena Edward; Elder Henry's daughter, you're ex girlfriend and her alleged human lover Hull Thompson. Very few remains were left but there was enough to make a positive identification and to confirm that they were in fact killed ten years ago when they first went missing. Their case has been opened up once again, now there is no more question to them perhaps just being runaways, we are launching a full on murder investigation. And unfortunate as it is for me to tell you Cole, you are suspect number one."

Even as I heard the words I couldn't believe it. _He told me she was alive. He told me this beautiful story of how he helped her runaway to be with her true love, how they talked all the time, how she was expecting a child. _He lied to me. All this time he has been keeping this from me. "How am I suspect number one?" He shouted, all the while trying to look at me. I refused to look him in the eye. I couldn't. I could never look at Cole the same way ever again. He lied.

"You know why Cole." Elder Jones said. "There was no secret to the fact that you were angry with Lena over her preferring a human to you—"

"Enough." He said, swiping his hand through the air. "I need a moment alone with Selene."

"I'll be in the living room." He said. "Don't do anything stupid to incriminate yourself more. I can only protect you so much. However my job as an Elder takes precedence over my family. I need to do what is best for our kind, even if it means destroying your trust in me to get you out of scrapes.

"I've never needed your help before." He said. "I will prove that I did not do it. Now if you'll excuse us." Elder Jones walked away with a sympathetic look toward me.

"Selene—" I slapped him across the face. His head jerked to the side. I reeled back to do it again but he caught me this time. I fought to get out of him grasp but he was so much stronger than I was. He grabbed me by both arms and pinned me up against the wall. "Selene listen to me please!"

"You liar!" I spat. "You lied to me. Lena has been dead this whole time."

"Yes I figured as much." He said, "But I never knew for sure."

"Don't…l- lie t-t-to me-e you.. a-al-always… kn-kn-knew!" I sobbed. "You…k-killed h-h-her." He opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted. "Y-you said she married him. You s-said th-that you…helped them run away because you were some…some hope-hopeless romantic who wanted to see her happy. You t-told me…that her parents were in on it. That you didn't care what people thought, if they thought you were a murderer. You said you wa-wanted…them to be together but y-you lied. WHY? Why would you lie?"

"Because you would not have believed the truth!" He shouted, grasping me harder.

"What truth?"

"That I NEVER knew what happened to her!" He shouted, dropping his head low. "I never knew and her death haunted me every night for years. Yes, yes it was true I was jealous. I cared about her so much and I _thought_ I did love her. I was so young and I wanted our love to work and was willing to do anything because I _thought_ that I loved her. But she didn't want me and that killed me. The night she disappeared we had a huge fight and I stormed off but I promise you I did not kill her or Hull."

"I don't believe you."

"Selene please!"

"No!" I screamed. I was crying so hard I thought I would break. My heart hurt. "You said you never loved her but you lied."

"I thought I did at the time but as I got older and came to terms with her disappearance I had learned that I only wanted our love to work. I never loved her like I love you."

"Shut up!" I screamed again. "Shut up I don't believe you, you liar! You lied about loving her; you lied about being jealous…is that why you wanted me to trust you over Tanner? What you did not want history to repeat itself? You didn't want to lose someone else to a human? Am I just some replacement for Lena in your heart? You pick up a girl the same age as Lena when she died and try to use her to replace your lost love?"

"No!" He said. "None of that is true. I love you. _You _Selene. I am sorry I lied but I never thought you would believe me if I told you the truth. I thought that if I told you that I never knew how she died you would think I was lying and never trust me. I had to get you to trust me so I came up with the lie. I never thought that her body would wash up."

"That does not justify the lie!"

"I know." He said grimly.

"I can't believe you." I said. "I wanted…I would have never accepted you proposal if I thought I could never trust you, I would have stayed with Uncle Matthew, but I did not believe what everyone said about you. Uncle Matthew was right all along. I should have listened to him. I hate you Cole."

"Please." He said, starting to sob hard himself. "Please don't say that Selene, please-don't. I love you, I am sorry I lied but I swear I only did it for good reasons. Give me another chance. Please. I will do anything you want." He held me in an embrace sobbing into my shoulder. But I felt so disgusted. I pushed him off of me. He put up a good fight to hold on, but this time I was able to free myself.

"I can never look at you the same way again Cole."

"Selene, no."

"I'm leaving." I said with finality. "I am going straight to Uncle Matthews, I will not bother packing, and I will have someone get my things tomorrow. But I am not staying here with you. I don't think I ever can again."

"Oh, Selene." I took off the beautiful locket with his wedding ring on it. I cried hard as I shoved it into his hand.

"Everything has been a lie."

"No. Not everything." He said. "Selene, just stay the night. I'll sleep in a different room-I won't speak to you, I won't do anything just please. Stay."

"Good bye Cole." I balled as I ran as fast as I could out the door. I heard him race after me, and then I heard Elder Jones stop him.

"Selene!" He begged, shouting after me. I kept running.

…

_Matthew_

As the doorbell rang I limped to it, not wanting any injuries to keep me from my normal life despite my new caretaker's requests. I was careful this time seeing as how last time I answered the door I was staked. I heard the familiar sobs before I could even open the door. Little Selene was hunched over in a ball on the floor, breathing so hard with her sobs that I thought she would be unable to catch her breath. "Selene?"

She came up and gently wrapped her arms around me, sobbing into my chest. "You were right." She cried. "What am I going to do?"


	25. Hurting

**Chapter 25-Hurting**

_Cole_

I never knew of a worse pain.

My insides burned. My heart felt like it has dissolved completely. I could not think.

Great grandfather Jones walked in from the other room, looking so haughty and indifferent. "Maybe that is for the best that she leaves." He said. "I would hate for this to have to be worse." He put his hand on my shoulder and led me to the kitchen. I sat in a stool burying my head in my hands. I could barely look at anything. It all reminded me of her. The smell of her skin still lingered, the vase of wildflowers that she brought for me, the warm bread I had made for her last night that she loves so much and was left on the counter. I could not breathe.

"We do have a little bit of information though." He said.

"What?" I snapped.

"We know how they died." He drew out his words until I would finally look at him with a vague resemblance of surprise and interest on my face. I _was_ actually curious about that, but I hated giving him an edge. "They were hit by a car which probably thrust them into the water, and then they drowned." He finally said. "We figure that they had care trouble, stepped outside of the car to flag someone down for help, and that person ended up hitting them instead. Both of their legs were smashed to indicate the impact of a car. Even for Lena, who would have healed quickly as all of our kind can do, wouldn't have had enough time for her legs to have repaired themselves so she could swim to shore before she drowned." He paused again. "The person who killed them may have taken their car and tried to make it look like it swerved then went over into the water…the kind of thing only a vampire could try and do…one who wanted to make it the perfect murder." He eyed me suspiciously. "They were on an abandoned road headed toward the ferry to the American main land; someone who had to have known of their attempt to escape would have had to have been there."

You are quick to assume that it was a premeditated murder, it could have been an accident that someone was too afraid to come forward with, so they just let me take the heat." Then I asked bitterly. "What is it going to take for you and everyone else, in this stupid, brain dead town to believe that I did not kill Lena?"

"An alibi, a reliable one." Jones said. He brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses. He filled them both and gave a glass to me.

"I don't have one." I swallowed my glass in one gulp. Then I grabbed the bottle and chugged it. A drip of wine escaped and ran down my chin. I wiped it off and slammed the bottle against the wall when I was done. The sound of the glass shattering was oddly comforting. I smiled at myself with a great deal of satisfaction. Then I went over to the wine cabinet to down another bottle, all while dear, great grandfather watched in pity. I opened the cork and took a gulp.

"The last night I saw her we had a fight right outside this house. I told her that she was making a mistake in being with Hull. I tried to convince her that the Elders, even her own father, would not ever approve of a human in our world and that by already telling him our secrets she put him in danger. She wanted me to get you to help side with them but I told her I could never do that, I was mostly afraid of the repercussions that _she_ was going to face, ironically enough. She stormed off bitterly and that was it. I went inside pouted a little over some school work then went to sleep. The next morning I heard about the car going into the sea and that people were accusing me."

"Are you sure you were not drinking yourself into a stupor like you are now? Perhaps the alcohol got to you and your judgment was impaired."

"I did not have a sip." I confirmed cheekily. "Though for the record it takes about six full bottles of wine to even make me tipsy." He quirked an eyebrow of huge disapproval at me but did not go on.

He then decided to move on. "When the car was found it looked like it had been having a little trouble, it would not start when our forensics team looked at it."

"Yeah well sixty plus feet of water will do that to an engine." I laughed. Gulping another half a bottle. The wine seemed to get my mind off…her.

"This is no laughing matter." He said. "Elder Henry is out for blood. He wants to be at peace with the person responsible for his girl's death." His voice was so authoritative and yet filled with concern. Ha.

"Well he and I can team up." I said. "I'd like help dear old Henry find his daughter's killer. Then maybe I can focus on getting my darling back. Selene will find out that it was not me after all who killed her and then she will forgive and forget about everything else." _I hope._

I tilted my head back for more wine. "Forget about Selene." I stopped in mid-gulp and slammed the bottle down.

"Forget about Selene?" I repeated. "Forget about Selene? No! I won't forget about Selene! She is _my _wife, mine! And I will not let anything come between us. She is simple confused and to my own fault but I will move heaven and earth to get her back where she is supposed to be!" I said, getting in his face. He grimaced then pushed me back.

"You be careful Cole." He said. "It is this very aggressive and obsessive attitude that got you in to trouble the first time. If people start to see it again then they all will want _your _blood. You keep yourself in check. Right now Selene is probably at home with her uncle where she belongs."

"This is her home!" I said. "This is her home and Selene belongs with _me._ She and I are perfect for each other, she is afraid of me because I was too cowardly to tell her the truth and hope that she'd understand. It is _my_ fault that I did not give her enough credit. However this situation is temporary; very soon and I mean _very _soon, she and I will be back in each other's arms soon enough. You'll see." I spat, and then tried to calm myself a little, but my voice still rattled with anger. "

"Damn it Cole!" Jones exclaimed. "I do not have time to deal with you and your blatant disregard for everyone else. There is another killer out there, one attacking our kind. The focus should be on them and not you and your soap opera of a life!" He tried to catch his breath and spoke more calmly. "Even _if _you are guilty of killing Lena, which I am not saying you are, but if you did, there is no evidence. We will handle the hunter, find him and kill him. Then we will investigate the bodies until everyone is sufficiently satisfied that there is no way we can find a killer. I can talk Henry down enough to get him to realize that her death will have to remain a mystery, and not to go hurting anyone who could very well be innocent. Your life will go back to how it was before; people may still suspect you but they will forget about you after awhile. All will be normal."

"And my wife?" _I cannot give up. You spent three years pining for her and then months charming her. I have to get her back._

"Your wife will return on her own accord." He said. "If you wish to try to court her and bring her back that is your decision, in fact I think it will make your situation even better. People believe that you two are deeply in love. If they see that you are fighting now, especially over past mistakes, and that you are trying to win her back in a proper and dignified manner, then they may think that whatever happened with Lena was a onetime deal between two hormonal teenagers. I am only warning you of one thing. Stay calm. Keep your temper in check and lose the obsessive behavior.

"Fine." I said, gulping more wine. It actually did sound very logical, and it would be the perfect way to fix everything. That is if Selene took me back and if the town responded the way Jones said that they would. As much as I wanted everything to work, it still hurt. _How can she think I don't love her? How-after everything, could my one lie to get her to trust me ruin everything I had. _

He walked out only leaving me with a few final words. "You might also want to consider holding back on the wine." I looked him dead in the eye and gulped another huge swig of it. He shook his head in disregard and walked out, leaving me alone.

The house never felt so empty.

I took my bottle, along with about two others that were unopened and lied on the couch. The silence of the house was too much for me; but I deserved to be in the prison I had created. _I should have just told her, I should have told her the truth. Maybe things would not have happened this way._

I missed her.

I fell asleep. It had really only felt like my eyes were shut for a few seconds. But when the chime of the clock in the foyer struck to eleven, I realized that night had long fallen.

A shadow on the arm chair caused me to jolt up.

"Selene?" I called out. My empty wine bottle clanked on the floor and rolled underneath the couch.

"No, son." A voice said. It was a familiar male voice. One I did not want to talk to.

"Hello father." I said with absolutely no warmth. "I am surprised to see you here; you are not scheduled to visit until the holidays. What lovely even brings you here so soon, hmm? Come to see you son wallow in the depths of his lies? Come to see him whine and wine over the beautiful and perfect wife he lost who won't—can't even look at him?"

"I want to know whatever gave you the implication that I would ever want to come see you just to see you upset like this." He said. I opened another bottle. "Your mother and I raised you as best as we could, we loved you and cared for you, we wanted what was best for you. She and I have been there for the good and the bad." I grimaced, he ignored it. "We are here because the Elders wanted to get all of the vampires gathered in White Waters to help out the rest of the families here fight off the hunter. Your mother and I stay wanted to stay here with you and your wife Selene. We also thought it would be nice for us to meet this girl, Jones says ever since the two of you have been married there has been a positive change in you; one that he has never seen and never thought would happen."

"Well, you are about twelve hours too late." I said. "You see, my little angel caught me in a lie…and now she has left me to go back to her Uncle, a man who up until today was terrible to her. Sh-She'd rather be with him than me!" I laughed then quickly became somber. "And why are you so interested anyway? You had plenty of chances to meet her, and you could have come to the wedding to meet her then."

"Your mother and I were travelling and did not know about the wedding or anything that happened with your marriage to Selene."

"Interesting. Convenient." I said. "For two parents who were oh so loving as you said, they seem disinterested in finding a way to keep in touch with their son. I could have been dead all this time and you would not have known.

"When I got here I found that there were more important things to attend to." Father said ignoring me. "Such as the murder of Lena Edward."

"Ah yes, the very lie I was caught in." I said. "You see dear father, I told my wife some gorgeous story how I helped her and that human boy run away. I _did not_ think that she would believe me if I told her the truth…that I _did not_ kill Lena, and that I have no clue what happened. And I _did not_ think she would believe how much I wanted to know the truth about Lena so I could help avenge her death. I thought she would never trust me if she knew the truth, I wouldn't have believed me if I were her." I said. "So now, you boy that you 'wanted the best for' is being practically recharged for the murder of a girl he was with ten years ago; by his own great grandfather by the way and couldn't even make it six months with his wife before she left him."

"You know I never believed that you killed that girl Cole." He said. "And I am determined to make sure your name is clear, and your life is normal. Grandfather Jones is concerned about one thing and that is keeping up his image. He cares for his family but they are number two to his Elder chair. That's why I declined the position and why my father declined it, we loved our families too much to be blinded by the power of being an Elder. But that is neither here nor there; my only concern is helping you with your marriage. I see the way your face lights up even through the pain when you talk about this girl, that kind of emotion is not fake and cannot be exaggerated. If I have to move heaven and earth I will get your wife to come back here."

It was just what I needed to here. My parents _had_ always loved me and cared for me, but when they thought I was all grown up they left me alone to fend for myself, which always bothered me. But no he wanted to help me get back Selene. But it still wasn't enough. "Where's mother?" I asked.

"She's in the kitchen. She thought you and I might want to talk alone. "

"Ah." He came over and picked up the wine bottles, including the ones I had not drunk out of yet. They clanked together as he walked them to the kitchen and dumped them into the garbage. I heard him empty some of them into the sink.

_That's probably wise._

It hurt so much.

_I have to get out of here._

Without another second's hesitation I bolted up. I swung on my coat and grabbed my car keys then ran to the car. As I pulled out of the garage I saw my parents through the rearview mirror, both with matching looks of concern. I ignored them and practically floored it away from my house. Despite my mother and father being there it felt far too empty for me to even handle. I headed to town with one place in mind.

As I parked my car I nearly laughed out loud in spite of myself. I had driven myself the one and only bar in town. It was ironic really. I had been here months ago anxious to find out if I would be allowed to marry Selene; now here I was, bound to her for life and I _still_ was pining for her between home and the local pub. _Could I be any more pathetic?_ I went in, pushing my way past the crowd of people to my favorite spot at the back of the bar. I found however, that my usual table was occupied by Jeffery Anderson, Tanner's father. He stared at a glass of scotch, a disturbed look on his face. I joined him hoping that we would have some privacy so we could speak.

"I don't think it's wise for you to be out alone Jeffery." I said sitting next to him.

"Oh really?" He asked looking down at his glass. A young blonde waitress came by smiling widely at me.

"Can I get you something honey?" She asked batting her false eyelashes and flipping her pigtails.

"Just water, thank you." I said, not even bothering to look at her, hopefully the freeze out would make her come and go quickly. She came back with a stout glass of water that was filled with ice.

"Anything else?" She asked, as though she was practically waiting for me to invite her to bed with me.

"No."

"Are you sure?" She pressed. "Not even my phone number? I get off at two but you can call me and we can meet up tomorrow afternoon." She said in a fake, raspy voice. She was trying to sound appealing, but she sounded like a child trying to be older than she was.

"I don't think my wife will appreciate that much." I said sipping my water and still avoiding her gaze. Her face looked stricken as she backed away to help someone else refill drinks for the rest of the bar. I smiled a little to myself.

"Is _Selene _aware that you're married Cole?" Jeffrey asked, moving his eyes from his own glass to me.

I looked him dead in the eye and smirked even wider. "I would hope so, since she's the one I'm married to. It might make for one awkward conversation at the dinner table if she doesn't know."

"She's only seventeen." He said with a bit of shock.

"I'm aware of that."

"Why haven't either of you mentioned it before." He added. It was as if he was trying to trap me into saying that I had married Selene against her will; which technically I didn't; though the proposal was something different.

"I was unaware I needed to give you a play by play about our relationship." I retorted; then more seriously; "She and I are waiting until after she graduates from high school to become more…public, with our marriage. In case you haven't noticed Selene is not the type of girl who likes to draw attention to her, and it is not exactly typical for a high school girl to be married to someone much older than her; people will talk and make judgments. She and I want to maintain a certain amount of dignity in our marriage."

"I'm surprised." He said. "She may not be the type to flaunt her all about; but _you_ are."

"Excuse me?"

"You parade that girl around like she is your most prized possession." He said. "I'm just surprised that you wouldn't want the entire world to know that you are bound to her in marriage, that no one else can have her. And I thought you were the type of guy who didn't care what other people thought, your Cole Wilshire; you get whatever you want when you want."

"I see that you've dropped the sunny attitude and happy go lucky disposition." I said. "I have to say that I have much more respect for you now; and I don't find you to be pathetic and weak." I sat up in my seat. "But to rebut; for one, I am not the type who seeks to flaunt myself, because you're right, I could care less what people think of me. If everyone wants to think of me as some loner freak they can. I _do _however; care what Selene thinks of me, and what also care about what she wants. I don't consider being grateful for how wonderfully lucky I am to have such a lovely wife and being _proud_ of it as parading; but call it what you like. And for the record, if it hadn't been for our own personal situation the entire world would know about our marriage; and they will soon enough when she's graduated."

"How touching." He said. "Too bad I don't buy it. Nor do I care if you think more of me because I refuse to try to be polite toward you."

"Why don't we quit playing around?" I said leaning forward. "I know you know what I am; your boy told Selene everything this afternoon. I have to say, hunter of a vampire hunter is not one I have heard of before, it's quite the original lie."

"It's not a lie." He said. "And you will benefit from believing us. We are being framed by someone, why I don't know maybe because my son and I are the easiest targets. I do not want to let it scare me though. I can help you. _You _may not need my protection, but Selene does. Tanner told me he thinks that she is one too now."

"Do not threaten her, _ever_ again. I swear that with all my might I will kill you for it." I said darkly, my teeth were gritted.

"I'm not threatening her. You're just afraid that I may be right and that if you don't listen to me like you would like to do, that Selene will be killed, and you'll regret that you did not take the proper initiative to protect her."

"Selene is much tougher than she looks, and my protection is enough for her."

"Let's hope." He said getting up to leave. "I really wish I could say that I enjoyed this chat of ours. However I think we can both agree that we got nowhere. I do want to help you Cole. When I lost my friend at the age of seventeen to a hunter, I promised to do what I could to honor his memory and protect your kind from having to face such a terrible tragedy again."

"Anyone can make up a story like that." I said. "Give me some concrete proof to believe that you are what you say you are and that you can offer more help than damage, then we'll talk."

I walked back to my car wishing I had just stayed home.


	26. What To Do Now

**Chapter 26-What To Do Now**

_Selene_

It wasn't exactly the first place I wanted to go, not yet anyway; but I had nowhere else to turn. Uncle Matthew let me in, holding his side gently where the stake had plunged through skin and muscle. I went into the home which didn't even feel like my home anymore. _Well I guess it isn't really is it?_ I looked and smelled the same, but it felt emptier than before. I couldn't even figure out much else to do once I stepped inside, I had told Cole that I was coming here, but I hadn't thought much else through.

"Selene, what is it?" He asked with concern. "What did you mean when you said I was right? What happened?" He led me over to the couch and sat me down; I waited for him to sit comfortably before I began.

I inhaled deeply, my throat shaking as I tried to let the words out. "Th-they found the bodies of Lena and her boyfriend. Cole—told me that they were still alive. He said that he helped them run away…but he _lied._" I said. "I believed him, I _trusted _him. I cut off what family I had left to be with him and trust him…for nothing." I buried my face in my hands letting out harsh sobs, he gently rubbed my back. "I should have listened to you, I should have trusted you…but I was so h-hurt. I thought- I had felt like you hated me." I looked up at him. He wouldn't look at me back. "I guess I had just wanted Cole because he _wanted _me so much."

"Who told you and Cole about the bodies?"

"Elder Jones." I sniffed. "He said that they were going to try to do a quick investigation and then try to close the case as quickly as they could. He said he didn't want to soil anyone's reputation, especially Cole's. But that's not the point. The point is Cole lied because he felt like he had something to hide." I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

"What did Cole have to say?" Uncle Matthew asked. "You must've confronted him about it; you said he made up a story about their deaths."

"He said that he lied to me because he really didn't know the truth." I told him. "He said that he felt like had to lie because he didn't think I would believe him. I feel like he manipulated me this whole time." He patted my shoulder gently. At the moment I hated myself; because even with as hurt as I was and how betrayed I felt…I still loved him. And I _missed _him. I wondered if he was thinking of me and trying to find a way to get me back; surely with as determined as he was to get me in the first place he wasn't anywhere near letting me go now. _I'm pathetic._

"Selene, you know very well that I am not someone who would ever defend Cole." He said. "He thinks that he is invincible because he is in line to be an Elder, that and his own pride and arrogance is enough to make me want to smack some sense into his thick head."However, maybe you're being too hasty."

"Too hasty?" I shot back. It had meant to come out loud and booming. However, it came out making me sound very soft and a little weak; all the energy had been drained from my body. I couldn't bring myself to be any more of an emotional wreck than I was. "You are the one who was always telling me that you had suspected him of killing her; you said that he was the jealous and possessive type. That's why you wanted us apart, now you're telling me that you don't think so anymore?"

"That's not what I'm saying." He said calmly. He rubbed the side of his face. "It wasn't supposed to turn out this way."

"What wasn't?" I asked.

"Everything." He said. "From the beginning to now—everything. Your parents were not supposed to die, I was going to try and leave White Waters once my business took off and try to move to some big city. Things changed too quickly…I couldn't gain control." He seemed to be talking to himself more than me.

"I don't understand."

He looked at me. "I'm only a bit older than Cole, you realize this don't you? I'm about seven years older, when this all started I was only twenty four; I was trying to make something of myself, I was trying to have my own life!"

"Uncle Matthew—"

"I am not saying that I didn't want to care for you, I don't want to go down that road again; I was happy to take you even though it didn't show and you'd be far better off with me than some distant relative that would've put you in a boarding school. I'm just saying I wasn't prepared for it, I wasn't supposed to stay here this long…and then Cole." His eyes were so distant; it was like he had gone mad.

"What about Cole." I said very gently, trying to draw the rest out of him.

"Cole stayed hidden; he stayed away from everyone which made things easier." Uncle Matthew said. "Then you and him. I should've recognized it the way he looked at you the first day; but I thought he was just curious about you…I should've known he would try to pursue you. Then when he did— I saw it all crumbing, everything I worked for. Cole was getting too close, and I saw more and more each day how I was losing control, how that it I didn't do something…anything fast, it would all unravel."

"What did you do…what would unravel Uncle Matthew." I asked almost sweetly, he seemed to be answering all the questions just fine, but I didn't know which ones would get him backed into a corner and stop him from answering. My stomach clenched tight as I prepared for the worst.

"I had to keep you two apart, I had to keep distance between myself and Cole…I knew he would find out." He was pacing now, despite the occasional limp, you couldn't tell he had even been attacked. "But you were stubborn, as was he. I should have done something sooner…I should have just fled when it happened and the blame wasn't anywhere near me."

_Oh no._ "It was you." I said. "You killed them. Not Cole."

"Yes, yes I did."

"What happened?"

"It was so dark." He said. "And I was upset, over your parent's wedding anniversary, they called and invited me. I had attempted to go, but the idea of the three of you so happy and together made me so jealous. My brother got the family I had always wanted. I regret being so petty and stupid now; I should have been happy…but that's unfixable. Anyway, that night I came back from the ferry, I wasn't paying any attention as I went down the road. When I got to the curve that's when I saw it, the car coming toward me, I was on the wrong side of the road but I couldn't swerve, I would have hit them. The other car hit them head on, Lena first, and then the boy. They kept driving; probably out of shock; it was my fault, if I had been paying attention."

"Oh Uncle Matthew."

"I tried to save them. I did." He said. "I went down the cliff and landed on some rocks; the current was too strong, it I went into the water I would have died too. I went back onto the road and pushed their car in, making it look like an accident then went home. The next day, the driver of the other car came to me."

"Who was it?" I took his hand gently and looked up at him. His eyes were so conflicted and lost looking. He seemed younger than ever. I wished for it to not be as bad as I felt it was going to be, but I was patient as I hoped for the best and prepared for the worst.

"Elder Henry, Lena's father." He finally let out.

"Oh my goodness." The shock was too much to take it all at once. _I cannot believe it. He killed his own daughter…by accident of course…but still. He did this and Uncle Matthew knew the whole time. _I should have been more angry, and it was not fair that I was more angry with Cole than I had been with Matthew about the lies, but it was like I expected it more from Matthew so I was more prepared, with Cole I was blindsided.

"He came to me saying he would keep the fact that _I _caused the accident a secret. On one condition; to bring down Cole, who he felt was his daughter's demise, and he hoped that if he brought down the last of the Wilshire line that he would move up the latter, he said that it would be in my best interest to make sure that that would happen."

"He blackmailed you." I breathed, it wasn't a question; more of something we both knew as a fact. Elder Henry was very proud of his position, but it was no secret that he wished to be higher up the latter, but of course due to family Lore, it would take the death or demise of an entire family for him to move up as he wanted to. _By having it be pinned on Cole he would get just that._

"Yes, I went to the Elders and told them about a fight I had seen earlier and added fuel to the fire. I knew that it was wrong; but I didn't want anything else in my life go worse than I felt it already had. I planned that once I got my career together I would leave and never have to face it again, but right when I was about to pick up and leave your parents died, then Cole came in wanting to marry you…I had no escape, I had to find an escape which is why I tried to destroy him in your eyes."

"Why tell the truth now?" I asked. "You could have had what you wanted, I came here wanting to be away from Cole, school is almost out and you should be healed perfectly by tomorrow at the latest. Why not just follow through with the plan?"

"Because I wanted to destroy him in your eyes, but I couldn't. I figured out day by day how much you needed him, and how you grew to love him as well as seeing him adore everything about you. I had planned on trying to let go of my own guilt over what I had done and what I let Cole take the blame for, but then all of this happened. I'm so sorry Selene. I wish you didn't have to suffer from my actions anymore."

I got up to hug him gently. He awkwardly patted my back with one hand, letting the other hang loose at his side. "I had had so many dreams." I said. "About Cole, ones where he was so frightening; I think he was right, if he had told me the truth that he had no clue who killed Lena, I don't think I would have believed him." I took a deep breath. "We should both sit and talk with him; he'll know what to do."

"Yes, he'll kill me." He said. "One, for killing Lena, two for hurting you and three for being one of the ones who pinned him for murder."

"Let me speak with him first, he'll listen to me." I said. I knew Cole would do it for me…that is if he would forgive me for being so hard on him.

"That is, if either of you get the chance…which you won't." We both turned to see Elder Henry in the doorway; with a stake in his hand. "It is unfortunate that it had to come down to this; I had no intentions of harming Selene; but now she knows too much."

"Elder Henry what are you doing?" I asked. Uncle Matthew was standing in front of me as I reached carefully for the phone. I picked it up and carefully tried to dial the buttons.

"I wouldn't do that Selene." He said. "Calling Cole will only make things worse."

I set the phone down carefully never taking my eyes off of Elder Henry.

"What are you doing Henry?" Uncle Matthew asked trying to sound casual, but I could see vaguely that his eyes never left the stake.

"Do not address me so informally, Matthew." He said. "We had a deal, you bring down the last of the Wilshire line, and I keep it a secret that you were the cause of the accident that killed my daughter. But you couldn't keep your mouth shut could you? Too kind for your own good, aren't you?" He said. "It's a shame, I was afraid you were getting soft, that you would break soon and spill everything…which is why I attacked you."

"_You_ attacked me?" My uncle asked. He seemed genuinely shocked.

"Yes, I had to tie up loose ends. I knew you were ready to crack." He looked at me. "And then you had to go and tell your niece of all people, who, if it hadn't been for my showing up when I did would have skipped off to her husband's and told him everything. It would have ruined me. I guess I'll have to deal with the both of you now. Why would you ruin it now, Matthew?"

"Selene and Cole deserve the truth Hen-Elder Henry. Your daughter can be at peace now and so can the boy's family." He tried to stay calm for my benefit.

"I could care less about that stupid human. And my daughter will not be at rest until you are rightfully out of the way and her father can take down the Wilshire's and take a more respectable place in the Elder's chairs. We were so close; the bodies found…it would have been but days for people to run him out of town once and for all. _You _ruined it."

"You've been behind all the attacks; you sent the note didn't you Elder Henry." I said. "I think you did it because you wanted to throw people off, if you simply attacked my uncle it would have seemed personal, but if you attack others, young and old, male and female, you seem like nothing more than your typical hunter. Then of course you pinned it on the two new humans in town…it was the perfect plan. No one would _ever_ suspect an Elder of all people to begin with, but with the way you set it up you made sure all was taken care of."

"You're a clever girl." He said. "I noticed that from the beginning, when you were accepting Cole's proposal…you had much potential, it's such a shame that your uncle spoiled it for you. Yes, you're very right…I did attack the others; I had to kill the man in Florida to make the connection with the Andersons. And the girl, she was a miss on purpose, I had to make sure I was noticed. As far as Matthew, he was lucky that the maid came back when she did, otherwise he would have died."

"Selene does not have to be a part of this." Uncle Matthew said. "Let her leave."

"Like I said, I had no intention of harming little Selene…but you changed that." He said. "But I don't want the young dear to suffer. I am very sorry Selene, if only you hadn't been so unfortunate to be stuck with an idiot of an Uncle." He said standing up with his stake poised. "Ladies first."

"If you even try…I'll kill you." A dark voice said. _Cole._ Elder Henry whipped around to see Cole standing in the lurch and approaching very slowly; he wasn't being cautious, it seemed like a panther stalking his prey. Calculating. Dark. And though I would never tell him, because he would never let it go…sexy. "Now, if you confess what you have done, I promise not to slash your throat out for attempting to kill my angel. If you make one advance toward her…I am not making any promises."

It wasn't enough of a threat.

In a flash Elder Henry was over by me, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me toward him and the stake. Uncle Matthew plunged between us sending the stake flying and him landing on the floor. Elder Henry tried to grab for the stake but Cole was quicker he poise the stake over Elder Henry but did not strike. "I warned you." He plunged the stake down but Elder Henry was just as fast and strong, he caught Cole's hands in mid plunge. The two grappled with it I saw the stake slice across Cole's arm; he let out a strangled cry. _No._ I did the first thing I could think of. I kicked the mahogany leg of the coffee table making my own wooden stake and hit Elder Henry over the head with it. His hands flew up to where I hit him, but as I did I noticed he had obtained the stake from Cole.

"Cole no!" Cole dodged and grabbed me around the waist, pulling us away from Elder Henry to get a better advantage. Elder Henry got to his feet, looking at Uncle Matthew who was still weak on the floor and trying to get up._ He's going to kill him. _I ran forward but Cole stopped me and nodded toward the window. I looked; so did Elder Henry and Uncle Matthew. Police lights were flashing and men were coming up the side of the house guns drawn. Elder Henry looked toward a spot behind me and Cole.

I glance back and saw a maid, cowering in the corner with the phone in her hands. _Thank goodness she called the police._

"It's over Henry." Cole said.

"No it isn't. I will finish what I started; I can promise you that Cole." With what sounded like a single snap in the air Elder Henry was gone in a flash. I heard the back door slam and the bushes rustle as he sped through. He was gone. Matthew made his way over to us, his shirt beginning to be damp with new blood. Cole supported his weight as he helped him sit.

"What do we do now?" I asked. And for the first time, Cole had no reassuring words.


	27. One Big Happy Family

**Chapter 27-One Big Happy Family**

_Selene_

I leaned against the kitchen counter spinning a shiny green apple back and forth between my hands.

Uncle Matthew was giving a statement to one of the police officers. From what I could over hear he was telling them that there was clearly a huge misunderstanding between him and an acquaintance which got out of hand but there was nothing further to worry about. It was also quite clear that Uncle Matthew would be giving the maid who called the police in the first place a nice bonus for keeping her mouth shut about what she saw and who she saw. _But why?_

Arms wrapped around my waist slowly and I felt a strong chin rest on my shoulder. Against my skin I could feel the coolness of breath as well as the prickliness of stubble as a set of lips went to my ear. "Am I forgiven yet?" The voice behind the lips whispered, it was smooth and seductive; more than I had ever heard it.

I rested my own arms against his arms across my waist. I turned my head to look right into a pair of what was still and probably would always be the most beautiful set of green eyes that I had ever seen. They reminded me of emeralds; warm yet still dark and mysterious. _Had I forgiven him? _I suppose so, he really didn't have anything to do with the murder of Lena, and I understood better now why he felt the need to not tell me the truth from the beginning. Maybe if the roles had been switched I too would have made up some kind of story to get Cole to trust me. "Yes, I forgive you." I smiled. "But only if you forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?" He asked, his brows furrowed together in confusion.

"I should have tried to listen to you. I was just so angry and hurt that you hadn't been truthful that I assumed the worst. I know you better than that; you are not a cruel person and you wouldn't hurt someone let alone _kill _them. Do you forgive me?" I turned to face him better. My arms rested on his strong chest as he kept his arms placed lightly around me.

He smiled and pulled me in very close to him so that I could feel his chest moving up and down from his breathing. "Well, I don't see the need for you to take any of the blame, however if it means you accepting my apology for lying, then yes I forgive you." I smiled back at him and loosely grabbed his shirt and brought him close. His smile widened as he let out a low chuckle and kissed me on the lips. It felt just as remarkable and intense as the first. His hands trailed the sides of my body, he backed me up against the wall, and one hand came up to caress my cheek while the other snaked around my waist once again. "Does this mean you're coming home with me tonight?" He asked huskily pulling away for just a moment.

"Hmmhmm." I murmured. "You smell like wine." I noted absent mindedly.

"I…don't handle being upset well." He said kissing my cheek and lingering for a while, then kissing it again.

"I understand." I said. "When I ran out of the house it took me hours just to get myself _here_, I guess I wasn't ready to face people yet. I needed to hide away somewhere where I could be alone and not have to think about everything. I spent hours working up the energy to come here."

"Where did you go?"

"The library." I said, recalling how I practically read _Little Women _cover to cover to avoid seeing anyone.

He laughed. "Oh really? Did you break in this time or actually use the door?" He asked sarcastically.

I smiled a little, remembering one of the first times we spoke; the day I saw him in my driveway and I confessed to him that I often broke into the school library before and after hours. "I broke in, if that's what you would like to call it." I said which caused him to laugh more. "If they kept better hours I wouldn't need to break in, they act as though people only ever need the library during certain hours." I defended once he stopped laughing. It only caused him to laugh more.

"You are very much the individual Selene." He said, kissing me on the forehead. "My little felon." Though meant as a joke it only reminded me of the realities of what was happening at this very moment.

"We should probably get back to Uncle Matthew." I said turning back to the living room. He followed behind, from the corner of my eye I was him inhale in preparation and saw him force a pleasant smile. I turned to him and whispered; "Be nice." He smiled wider in exaggeration.

As I walked into the living room I could feel the tension radiating off Uncle Matthew. His head was buried into his hands, elbows rested on his knees and seated on the couch. I opened my mouth to speak. "Why didn't you tell them the truth?" Cole interjected before I had the chance.

Uncle Matthew raised his head up, for a split second I could see in his face he was ready to go head to head with Cole again, but then he thought better of it. "I told them what I did to get them to go away, I am not sure of how to handle this just yet so I prefer to keep things quiet."

"And in the mean time Elder Henry is out to kill the three of us not to mention keeping the blame on me for the death of my high school girlfriend?" He asked in confirmation with slight sarcasm. "I think not. I am going to my great grandfather and he will help us fix everything. At the very least we can let the community know that the vampire hunter and the man responsible for those tragic deaths years ago is the same person, and not only that but Elder Henry. People deserve to be able to be on alert and know the truth."

"It's not that simple." Uncle Matthew shot back.

"Why not?" Cole's voice rose slightly. "_You _did not even kill them. You have no reason to hide anything."

"I have every reason." He said. "_I _was the reason that Elder Henry hit those kids. If I had been paying attention he would not have needed to swerve. And even if I do explain what happened to Elder Jones I still struggle with the fact that I conspired with him for years to try and take down the Wilshire family; Elder Jones's own family for Elder Henry. I have dug to deep a hole."

"So now what?" Cole asked. "Are you willing to risk Selene's life for your own reputation? Because that is what it has come down to. You heard him threaten her just the same as you. He won't rest until all of us are dead.

"I know!" He said. "Look for now Selene and I can just stay here and—

"No." Cole's voice rang through the room. "Selene is coming home with me."

"Elder Henry will know to look for her there, he'll know to look for you both there, and you might as well throw yourself into a wooden stake right now." Uncle Matthew said.

"She's no safer here." Cole pointed out. "He'll look here too; he already knows that she is here now. Perhaps the best thing we can do is leave White Waters completely." It was as if he said it in slow motion. My stomach felt sick as I thought of having to hide out from the world. _There has to be another way. _

Then it hit me. "Cole, we can go to Tanner and Mr. Anderson."

"What?" Both men said in unison looking to me.

"They are hunters of vampire hunters." I said. "We know that to be a fact now since Elder Henry has just admitted to the crimes that the Andersons were suspects for. They may be able to help us. Besides, I don't see how running away does any good, all it does is allow for Elder Henry to win. By the time we find a suitable place to hide he could have our whole community out to get us. He is an _Elder;_ he could practically snap his fingers and get what he wants when he wants."

"Selene, you make a good point but you cannot really expect us to go to two humans, one of which is some prepubescent teenager and think that they are going to be the answer. All it would do is cause more chaos and destruction."

"It might, it might not, at this point what do we have to lose?" I looked back and forth to both of them and they seemed to be trying to dig up something that would be a good argument against mine.

"We won't go to the Andersons just yet." Cole said looking at me. "Right now our main priority is finding a safe place to stay. I still say _our_ home is better." He put emphasis on our then shot a side glance to Uncle Matthew to clearly let him know that there was no way he would consider any other place other than the Wilshire house as my home. "I have a top notch security system and my parents are in town and can help us keep a look out."

"You're home is also secluded and far enough away that no one could hear if there was distress." Uncle Matthew said. "No, we leave White Waters."

"Uncle Matthew." I interjected knowing that with Cole and Uncle Matthew there would most likely be no end to the debate as to whose plan. "Come with me and Cole to the Wilshire house. For one, it would be easier to move just your stuff and send home the maids then to move my things, Cole's things and his parent's things; who of course would have to be here too if we wanted the best chances of staying safe. There are also fewer distractions over there so we would have better chances of staying alert. We need to stay here and as much as I know you don't want to we _have_ to tell the other Elders, I am sure they will understand."

Uncle Matthew's jaw tightened and his eyes averted to the floor. "If I find just one flaw in this living situation I am taking Selene on the next flight out of White Waters and away from _you_."

"No, you're not." Cole said darkly. He stepped right to my uncle, their faces only a few spaces apart. "You are not her guardian anymore. She is _my_ wife, and decisions concerning her are not carried out without her consent and my approval. She is to remain with me. And furthermore, let me remind you, Matthew, that your grudge against me is fallacious. You only ever set out to hate me because you wanted to save your own skin, or are you so caught up in ten years worth of fabrication that you have forgotten that little fact. You have no reason to hate me; so I suggest that you change your tone when around me. I have agreed to be kind for Selene's sake, but she is well aware that I have my boundaries. You best not push them."

"Your wife or not, she is still my niece and I will still fight for what is best for _her;_ not what her husband wishes or _approves _of. _And furthermore, _I am well aware that my grudges against you were based on lies that I created however that still doesn't mean that I don't have my eye on you; a man who wants a girl ten years younger has no business trying to spout off that he is perfectly innocent; I now, and always will be watching you. You best remember that."

"And you both best remember that you promised me to put more effort to get along with one another. Don't think for a second I won't be on top of either of you making sure that you stick to your promise. I am not asking you two to be the best of friends but I am asking that you put your…pigheadedness aside until things quiet down." I gave one last final nod in satisfaction and crossed my arms. Uncle Matthew's expression did not change Cole's mouth quirked into a smirk.

"As you wish love." He said.

"I'll only be a moment to gather my things." Uncle Matthew grunted. "Call your parents and give them an update." He said to Cole.

Cole nodded and pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. He dialed a number and as he waited for someone to answer he whispered provocatively in my ear. "And for the record, you can be on top of me any time you like…_love._" I looked at him in shock as blush crept up my cheeks. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek to further silence me as he responded to the person who had finally answered the phone.

If you ever thought that you had been through something that was incredibly awkward, then you might want to compare that to being in a car while your husband drives, you sit in the passenger seat, and your uncle; who caused all the trouble in the first place but won't own up to it because regardless of false rumors he still cannot let go of his dislike for that husband, sits in the back with his arms crossed like a child because he lost the argument. _This is the longest car ride I have ever endured._ I glanced over to Cole who seemed to be enjoying my uncle's discomfort too much. I gave him a warning look. He just smiled and gently grazed one hand over my leg.

"Watch where you put those hands." Uncle Matthew muttered.

Cole was moments from saying something of which I was sure would be rather inappropriate, so I silenced him by holding his hand and keeping it in between the two seats rather than on any body parts. I gave him another look. _Why does he have to be so difficult?_

As we pulled up to the house two things dawned on me. One, I had not realized how much I would miss this place in such a short time. I looked forward to being back in _my_ home. Two, I would, for the first time ever, be meeting Cole's parents. It was typically custom for humans and vampires alike to meet the parents _before_ the wedding. _Can't I do anything in order? _It's supposed to be; meet the guy, love the guy, meet his parents, have him get permission to have your hand, then get married. Not have him ask permission, meet him, start to be intrigued, marry him, love him and then meet the parents. "They'll love you." Cole said, as though he knew exactly what I was thinking.

"How do you know?"

"They have good taste." He said with a smile as he parked the car. "And most importantly because _I _love you." He got out then came around to help me out of the car. We both helped Uncle Matthew with his bags and made our way up the back. I saw the curtain move quickly followed by a shadow and some clanking noises; the kind that sounded like the vaults at Uncle Matthew's bank. _He meant it when he said he had a good security system._

"Hurry come in." A female voice said. We walked in, seconds after we were inside the woman behind the voice pressed a few numbers on a keypad and the whole house locked up in seconds. I looked at the woman who was a stunning as to be expected; her body was tall and fell into perfect curves that any woman would envy, her blonde hair fell to her shoulders in smooth and straight strands, I noted that she had the same green eyes as Cole that burned bright and was a perfect contrast to her creamy skin and full pink lips. "Pleasure to meet you my dear." She said extending a slender hand. "You must be Selene, the girl my son cannot stop talking about."

I smiled and took her hand. "Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Wilshire."

"Call me Julianne." She said, and then gestured to a man that walked into the kitchen moments afterward. "And this is my husband Alexander." The man was tall, with black hair that shone brighter than Cole's and a handsome face. His eyes seemed to be an ordinary shade of brown but they held the same mischievous sparkle that Cole's had.

"Pleasure to meet you." I said.

"And I you." He nodded remaining far from the crowd, again like his son I noted; never getting close enough to anybody to have to bother with what was thought to be senseless small talk. "Cole has caught us up with everything over the phone. I have called my grandfather Jones—"

"Did you tell him everything?" Matthew asked nervously.

"No." Alexander did not so much as looking at him. "Though, for all you've put my boy through it's a wonder I stick my neck out for you. Anyway, I told him that Elder Henry was in fact in admittance to being the vampire hunter and that I have three witnesses to confirm it."

"What did he say?" Cole asked.

"He was as formal as ever." His mother Julianne said. "He said that he would tell the other Elders what we told him but that he needed to make sure of everything before jumping on one of the Elders as a criminal." She spoke about Elder Jones as though she had a bad taste in her mouth.

"Typical." Cole muttered.

"Right now we are in the middle of a waiting game." Alexander said. "We will stay here; there is plenty of food, water and blood for the five of us to stay replenished for at least a week if no one gets too greedy of course. After that if we have no further word about Elder Henry or at the very least what the other four Elders have planned for him, then we form plan B. In the mean time, get comfortable." He left the room and Julianne followed close behind; they reminded me much of Cole and myself.

"It takes him a moment to warm up to people." Cole said quietly. "He already likes you; otherwise he would not have made the effort to be as polite as he was. Give him time." He was about to lean into me when he realized that Uncle Matthew was still in the room. "Why don't I show you to your room, I gather you still have some recovering to do yes?" Once again we gathered bags and made our way up the stairs into one of the many guest rooms. Cole picked one that was not the nicest but not terrible by a long shot; just very clean and simple, I paid attention to the fact that it was the furthest away from our room. "I hope this is to your liking." He said trying to be polite. Uncle Matthew simply nodded.

This is going to be interesting.


	28. Warned

**Chapter 28-Warned**

_Selene_

The house was deadly quiet; I sat in the chair by the window in Cole and mine's bedroom. The windows had been sealed tight and it wasn't as charming or comforting as I normally found it, but I was too keyed up to try and fall asleep and pretend that all was normal.

Earlier, after Cole and I had shown Uncle Matthew to his room Cole's father Alexander insisted that he convince Uncle Matthew into confessing everything to all the Elders, with the exception of Elder Henry of course. He was concerned that since he hadn't heard anything further from any of the other four Elders, especially Elder Jones his own grandfather and Elder Malcolm who was always handled thing in a timely manner; that they did not believe him and that they would stand by Elder Henry—which of course would only be worse for us. After a one last failure of trying to convince someone to, at the very least _tell_ Tanner and his father about what happened; mostly so the Andersons could rest assure that they would have our support in convincing the other vampires that they were not the hunters. I decided to put the subject to rest for now. I realized what the problem was; I was but a seventeen year old girl to everyone who didn't know better, and maybe they were right, after all, this time a few months ago I would have just done what I was told and not questioned it, but now it just seemed as though I could do more.

Alas, when Alexander tried to speak to Uncle Matthew, he found that my uncle had quickly locked himself up and turned out the light to go to bed. I hadn't even realized myself how late it still was, having been too distracted with other things at the moment. I glanced up at a small clock on the mantel and noted that it was two in the morning.

"I'm surprised to see you still awake." Cole said coming into the bedroom. He pulled his shirt off over his head exposing his chiseled abdomen; every muscle in his upper body from his strong neck to his belly button was something that men in gyms aspire to have and envy from those who do. He walked over to me and tickled my cheek a little when he noticed me staring. I jumped realizing that he had been speaking to me and that I let myself drift away admiring his build; blush crept to my cheeks. I looked away in embarrassment…again; something which caused him to chuckle with amusement.

"I-I was having trouble sleeping." I sputtered out quickly trying to shift focus.

"Well, why didn't you tell me?" He lifted me up and set me on the soft bed. Even though I hadn't been away for a day, it still felt as though I had truly been gone for months. I had almost forgotten how heavenly the bed felt, especially when my muscles felt tense and cold. He sat behind me a long leg on either side of me. He gently took me by the shoulders so that my back rest against his bare chest and his own back rest against the headboard in complete relaxation. Then, hands massaged my shoulders easing away all of the knots that I hadn't even realize were there. "Is this better?" He asked.

"Hmm." I answered inaudibly. My eyes closed as he worked his way down my arms. I did not so much as flinch when I felt him lift me up and turn me over so that I was lying on my stomach against the mattress. I felt him straddle me as his hands rubbed the perfect amount of pressure on my back.

"You know most couples fight over which blender they should keep from their wedding gifts when they are first married." He whispered. It was meant to be light but I could tell that even he was aware of the strain in his voice. He was very focused on trying to be protective of me, to the point where he was almost like a parent trying to distract their child with a new toy or their favorite food to hide that there was something far more serious and upsetting going on. I wished that I could find a way to let him know that I was far more capable than he realized to handle everything, but I knew just telling him that I was alright would not be enough. The best thing I could do at the moment was humor him. So I laughed softly at his attempt to be humorous at the moment. He got off me and turned off the light of the lamp, so that the only thing that kept the room from being solid black was the fire still filled with life in the fireplace. I looked over to him, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me with a sad smile.

"We're keeping the blender that the Dubois gave us." I said, and then closed my eyes; the last thing I remembered was his soft laugh echoing in the room and the softness of his lips against my forehead.

_Cole_

I had not slept all night; the only comfort that I had was that anytime I looked over to Selene her serenity as she slept was enough to keep me from going insane. Her long lashes nearly touched the tops of her cheeks and her breathing was perfectly rhythmic; she looked as though she hadn't a worry in the entire world. Even when we spoke to each other like we had moments before the calm that she kept even with her own life on the line surprised me. I had a lot to learn from her, and about her. She rustled in her sleep her eyebrows cinching together for a moment. I watched her absentmindedly as she stretched and yawned, her eyes fluttering open.

"Morning love." I whispered very gently as her eyes shifted in my direction.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked scooting over to me and resting her head on my chest.

Instinctually my arm draped over her shoulders and my fingers played with the ends of her hair and traced shapes across her shoulders and back. "Yes." I lied. It was best not to worry her more than she needed to be. "We probably should get up soon. Today is hardly the day to lounge around in bed." I hadn't wanted to say it, I could lie like this with her forever if the situation permitted it, however both of us knew that that option was not possible.

"You're right." She said getting up from bed. I watched her as she strode to the closet her soft shoulders hidden by her rich dark hair and her body swaying with ease. I sat up from bed dropping my legs over the side of the bed. I dropped my elbows on my knees and looked down at the ground. _How can I protect her? What am I supposed to do? _Suck it up. I answered myself, whatever it was I decided to do about Elder Henry I had to pull it together. Selene needed me and I wasn't going to let her down…not that she expected me to be perfect, but _I_ expected me to be perfect when it came to her. _I'll figure out something._

I felt fingers run through my hair. My eyes closed as the hand moved its way across my cheek; it was soft, warm and unfazed by the roughness of the stubble I rarely shaved but never grew anywhere quite near an actual beard. I took the hand in mine and inhaled deeply, then kissed the palm. I pressed the palm to my cheek and looked up into her eyes; they looked more golden than hazel this morning. "Hi." She whispered.

"Hello." I said back, and then grinned widely. "You know, I have a feeling I'm going to be very misbehaved today with your Uncle Matthew, you might want to get a head start at getting on top of me to keep me in line." I teased. She giggled lightly and did just that. She placed a knee on either side of me against the mattress; I leaned back against my elbows as her hands ran up my bare chest. I reached up to pull her face close to mine…

The bedroom door opened, gently at first but then the intruder, most likely not particularly liking what they saw slammed the door open so that it ricocheted off the wall. "What in the hell?" _Ah Matthew, never failing be in the wrong place at the wrong time, though I suppose now would be better than walking in on what would have happened in moments, that would've been a show he would likely wish to forget._

"Uncle Matthew." Selene said in shock trying to get her off of me. I gently grabbed her thighs to keep her from moving. She was perfectly fine right where she was. I agreed to be polite; I did not agree to change what I did in my private life however.

"Knock much?" I asked, stroking her thighs with my thumb. I could see from the corner of my eye that she was looking back at me with a bit of shock on her face. Both from having her uncle walk in on her doing something very intimate, but also by how calm I was about it.

"Get off my niece!" He bellowed. I vaguely heard my parents leave there room to come see what the fuss was about.

"For the record she is on top of me." I said finally letting her go. She moved to one side of me and looked up at her uncle, pleading with her eyes that he would just drop it. "And second of all, though she is your niece she is also my wife and I have every right to enjoy the privileges of being her husband in the privacy of our own bedroom…so if you don't mind we would like to carry on."

"Cole." She whispered harshly.

"What's going on in here?" I heard my father ask. My parents came in, my father in the lead. Both were dressed in perfectly tailored clothes as if they were going to the office, which was typical, I don't think I ever saw them in informally dressed from the time I was a boy; even clothes meant for casualty were always perfect looking. "Matthew, is there a reason that you have bombarded my son and daughter in law's room?" _Good old dad, he only says three words my wife but he will try and salvage our sex life._

Matthew looked at him, for a brief moment I caught the slightest bit of submissiveness come to his eyes then quickly pass. "I don't owe you anything. I came in here to speak to Cole, not you."

"Just the same, I would prefer it if you would extend to the courtesy to knock when you are entering a room someone is occupying in my home." I said. Selene looked at me giving me my own pleading look. I sighed getting on my feet. "Whatever it is Matthew I will gladly discuss it with you, but right now would anyone, who did not sleep in this room, give me a few moments to at least get dressed?"

"Thank you." Matthew choked out, which I knew was more for Selene's benefit than my own. Matthew and followed my parents into the hall closing the door shut behind him.

"Thank you." Selene said to me. "That was not the most comfortable of situations; I don't know how I will ever be able to look at him again after what he saw." Her voice was meek and shaky with humiliation.

"Well, he will certainly take you more seriously." I told her jokingly. It did the trick and she laughed full heartedly. I kissed the top of her head and spent a bit longer getting dressed than I had planned. I blamed Selene for that…she clearly took advantage of me when I was changing. Not that I minded.

Selene and I came down stairs fingers laced together. "I suppose while you and Uncle Matthew are speaking I could try to get to know your parents. After all, they are my mother and father in law." She said taking her free hand to trace the inside of my arm that held her other hand.

"Yes, you could." I said. "Though I could tell you more than you could find out talking with them. For instance, my mother is in the kitchen, making breakfast; she'll most likely be making some fancy breakfast because there is no use starting the day if you're ill fed; though I do owe my talents in cooking to her, she taught me everything I knew. She will be talking about something around her house that she wants to refurbish or fix, something she does when something is bothering her. When I was accused of killing Lena she put in all knew windows and doors of her home by hand, by herself. I would also wager that my mother had already rearranged the contents of the refrigerator into a system that she thinks is the most logical and convenient way to store a refrigerator. My father who normally reads the paper in the morning, will probably busying himself with a crossword instead; a habit he had when he is tense. He won't say anything really, which is actually quite typical but usually he will muster up a few words every now and then, but today he will undoubtedly be deadly quiet. Again, let him engage with you, if your try to push him for conversation right now he will be agitated."

"Okay." She said playing with her locket; somehow I had managed to make her more nervous.

"Relax, like I told you before, they will like you, and really already do."

"Okay." She repeated, and then looked toward me. "And look, I don't know what Uncle Matthew wants to say to you but pl—"

I silenced her with my finger to her lips. "I promise to be on my best behavior." _To an extent. _She raised an eyebrow but did not pursue further.

As she stepped away I pulled her back and kissed her long and hard. "I promise not to be long." I said.

Matthew was waiting for me in my office. He sat in one of the arm chairs and fiddled with a pen that had been left on top of my desk. "Alright Matthew." I sighed. "What exactly was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I know that you and your father are frustrated with me over everything. I am doing the best that I can to show you that I have made a mistake and that you have my loyalty in helping you rightfully take down Elder Henry." He said.

"Then why won't you consent to telling the Elders _everything?"_ I asked. "You know that your confession is all that we need to convince them. Right now they won't believe us because it does not make sense to them for Elder Henry of all people, the man that runs the schools and makes sizable donations to them no less, to be a cold blooded vampire killer. If they knew that he was the one who killed his daughter when trying to dodge your vehicle and that he was blackmailing you then they would give us their help."

"It's not that simple like I told you before."

"Why not?" I asked. "Because you're worried about _your_ reputation and _your_ life? You are making matters worse for yourself and in the process you are destroying innocent people."

"I know that!" He shouted getting to his feet. "Things got out of control; I want to make the right choices this time around. I don't want anyone to get hurt and I would sacrifice my own life to make that possible."

"Then you know what you have to do." I picked up the phone and switched it to speaker, dialing the number to Elder Malcolm. "You talk; I'll do what I can to negotiate with him. He knows we hate one another and that the only reason that one of us hasn't killed the other is because of Selene. Elder Malcolm is a reasonable man."

The phone rang and rang. Matthew shifted in his seat uncomfortably until someone finally picked up. "Hello Cole." Elder Malcolm said.

"Elder Malcolm." I greeted. "I'm here with Matthew Hayward. He has something to tell you." And so I listened and watched. I listened to Matthew draw out every detail from the night of the accident until now, and I watched as he seemed to become more and more nervous as he spelled out more and more of the dirty details; from the whole reason of the lies which were to destroy me and my family to lying about how severe everything really was. Elder Malcolm was silent for a long while.

"I understand your concern." I said. "Elder Henry is someone who you have known longer than the two of us combined and the last thing you would expect from him is something like this. But think about it. Have you heard from Elder Henry lately? And if so what was he trying to do to deflect the blame from him? I bet if he has spoken to you that he has done everything he can to convince you that I and Matthew are the ones out to get him; which you and I both know makes little to no sense. I was just a teenager when all of this began and Matthew not much older, what would the two of us have against him? At the time when I was dating his daughter I thought that he liked me, I would never have turned against him."

"You make a compelling point Cole, but it is unnecessary." He said.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I have suspected that something sinister was happening within the Elder council for a while now, I was just unaware as to the extent of it. I cannot guarantee much Cole, you and your family will have to be responsible for yourselves. But the other Elders and I will try to help you as much as we can."

"Just like that?" I asked suspiciously.

"Not everyone has a hidden agenda Cole." He said with much authority. "What I was missing before when trying to believe you was the _why, _now that I know that and now that I believe you there is nothing further to discuss."

"Good." I said. "What about Matthew and his part in this?" I asked looking up at him.

Elder Malcolm sighed. "It depends on how many lives if any are lost between now and capturing Henry. I don't blame him for Lena's death or the death of that human boy that was with her, though he did have a hand in it, but there will need to be some form of punishment to fit the crime, I'm just afraid since we don't know the extent of the crime I cannot make any big promises. I am of the persuasion that some grunt work and a large financial fine could be enough, but as I said it is too soon to tell."

"Thank you Elder." Matthew said.

"Now I am telling this to the both of you. Watch Selene." He cautioned darkly. Matthew and I both tensed. "She is the common factor between the two of you, someone both of you love and would kill for, if you take your eyes off her for one second I can promise you that Henry will get to her. You've been warned."


	29. Point Well Made

**Chapter 29-Point Well Made**

_Selene_

When I walked into the kitchen I was surprised at how spot on Cole had been about his parents.

He never once mentioned his parents so I was under the impression that they did not have a very close relationship with one another. I wondered just then what exactly happened to sever ties; was it really the fact that he had been accused of murder that ruined the relationship? Or was there something more?

I sat down on a stool at the counter, a single seat separated me from Cole's father Alexander; just like Cole had said he was filling in a crossword puzzle and from the looks of it the puzzle did not seem to be much of a challenge. He did not so much as looking up at anything around him, I noticed that not even his coffee cup in front of him appeared to be touched.

I looked over to Cole's mother Julianne, who seemed to be speaking more to herself than to anyone in particular; I heard her mutter something about redoing an upstairs bathroom. As she opened the refrigerator to pull out some milk I noted that everything had in fact been rearranged, I smiled in spite of myself. Julianne turned to look back at me, a poised smile appearing on her lips. "Good morning Selene." She said courteously. "I have made some crepes filled with fresh fruit as well as eggs Benedict to have on the side, would you like a bit of it this morning?"

"Yes I would, thank you ma'am." I answered softly.

"Now Selene we have already discussed this, you may call me Julianne." She smiled again, sliding a steaming plate in front of me. I hadn't realized how hungry I had been, I tried very hard not to just inhale my breakfast.

There was silence as I ate; I took the time to really observe Cole's from my own perspective rather than what he had told me. Julianne was dressed perfectly, which was something one would not expect on an early Sunday morning. Her white button down oxford shirts was rolled up at the sleeve and tucked into her black silk pencil skirt. Her black skyscraper heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she constantly moved here and there, never settling down once. She reminded me so much of Cole in that way; always needing to be doing something.

Yet as I looked at Alexander he reminded me very much of Cole as well. He was broody and had a darkness that swept over him even as he sat there quietly. I would wager that he was the type to never give any more information than necessary at any given time. As far as looks, it was obvious where Cole got most of his appearance from, though his father was a much more clean-cut version with his perfectly shaven face and short hair. Not to mention that he too was dressed perfectly as though he had a big board meeting to go to.

I drummed my fingers nervously against my leg. _Shouldn't I be thinking up something clever and witty to say to win them over? _After all, even though I didn't exactly need their approval since Cole and I were already married, it still did not mean that I did not want them to like me; they were his parents and would always be in his life. Yet every time I tried to think of something to say I would stop myself. _Just say anything…or not._

"So, Selene." Julianne began finally sitting down, the first time I had ever seen her just sit and relax. "Cole mentioned once that you are the one who started the hand painting line of tea sets at The Teahouse, how is it you came about such a talent?" She asked as she sipped a cup of coffee.

"When I came here I was looking for any sort of job really, I thought that work would be a good distraction for me, I happened upon The Teahouse where Ira gave me the job of running the inventory in the back. One day I was on my break and was just messing around with a broken teapot and some paints and Ira liked my work. I have to say I was a bit apprehensive at first, I knew how prestigious the job was since The Teahouse is a very prominent stand alone business but I enjoyed the challenge, and I find the task of the hand painting to be more therapeutic than being actual work, I was and still am very fortunate for Ira giving me the chance." I answered.

"Lovely." She said. "And now you and Cole both own the establishment?" I hesitated for a moment, if felt like I was on an interview, but if this is what it would take to start to get Cole's mother to like me I was willing to grin and bear it.

"Well there were some local newcomers that bought the establishment from Ira, but due to a few…difficulties with the location of The Teahouse…" I said knowing she understood what I meant, "the establishment went to Cole, who in turn gave it to me as a gift since he knew how much I loved it. I had planned to buy it myself but my finances were just shy of the asking price and Ira had to make the best decision she could and set aside her personal feelings, which I understood of course."

"I always appreciate people who are not only enjoy their work but also understand that just because they are passionate does not mean that they are entitled to all the business benefits." Alexander said. Even Julianne was surprised that he had commented.

"Thank you." I said. He simply nodded and went back to his work. "I'm afraid that Cole has not yet mentioned what it is that you and Alexander do." I said purposely trying to sound like that their jobs were the only thing he _hadn't _mentioned. I didn't want to mention that he hadn't told me anything about them with the exception of what he said a few moments ago, I was afraid it would hurt their feelings.

"Well, Alexander and I have done several things really." She said. "We like to move around and travel a lot so a job that requires us to be there daily is a bit cumbersome. I enjoy teaching the occasional class or seminar at universities; mostly history, and I also own several properties across the globe where I earn the majority of my income. Alexander is a neurosurgeon, he practiced in New York for several years until he and I had Cole, then he shifted his practice here. When Cole finished high school we had more freedom to move about, Alexander is in demand all over the world and he will spend usually five to nine months at a hospital showing his expertise then moving on."

"Wow, those are quite the accomplishments." I told her. She seemed pleased with the compliment.

"So tell me," She continued turning the questioning back to me, "How well had you and Cole known each other prior to marrying? I am aware that his proposal was abrupt but was never really aware of the extent of it. Did you and he have an instant connection?"

"We hadn't really known each other as well as an ordinary couple would prior to marrying, but as you know Cole is far from just ordinary. I will say that he is always very patient _with_ me and kind _to_ me." I answered simply, uncomfortable with exposing all the dirty details. I could have sworn I saw Alexander grin from the corner of my eye, but when I turned slightly to confirm it he was as somber as ever.

"Of course, I myself knew from the moment I saw her that I would regret it very much if I did not take the chance to sweep her up myself." A voice said from the doorway. Cole stood there, and though his voice was light his face had no humor in his face. "Hello mother, are you two getting _properly _acquainted?"

"Relax Cole." She said her eyes showed the same edge that his were now showing. "I was just asking her a few questions, it's not like you offer much information when your father and I call, and I wanted to find a few things out for myself."

"Where's Uncle Matthew?" I asked trying to change the subject.

Cole gave his mother one last look before looking to me. "He went to get some sleep. We spoke with Elder Malcolm and Matthew finally confessed to the whole truth. Elder Malcolm seemed more than willing to help us capture Henry, after which he said that he will give Matthew _his_ proper punishment for taking part in a scandal that was meant to destroy the Wilshire name."

"How bad a punishment?" I clasped my hands nervously in my lap.

"The punishment is nothing terribly drastic." He told me. "Elder Malcolm told him that he believed that Matthew was put in a tough spot to make any rational choices. A few donations and some work for the community would suffice; however that is dependent on how much damage Henry does in the mean time."

"Did he mention what would happen to Henry when he was captured?" Julianne asked. The tone in her voice made me afraid of what _she_ thought proper retribution would be. I could only imagine myself how the Elders would handle it. They were known never to do anything too drastic, unless someone threatened the safety of our people, then death was often the punishment.

"He did not need to specify, it seemed very clear to me that Henry would not live long under the hands of the rest of the Elders." Cole said indifferently. I felt a shiver go down my spine.

"There's more." Alexander said, sensing the same thing I did, which was that Cole had something far more important to report.

"Yes." He admitted. He walked over to where I sat and occupied the stool to me right rather than taking the one between me and his father. "Elder Malcolm believes that Selene is in danger."

"Me?" I choked out. "He really thinks that Elder Henry will come after me?" Another shiver went down my spine as I tried not to think what Elder Henry would possibly want with me.

"I'm afraid so, and I would have to agree with him, you are the common denominator Selene. You have a connection to both me as well as Matthew not to mention you witnessed his confession to the crimes. He may harm you or he may capture you for bait to get to me and your uncle, knowing we would risk our lives to save you." His voice was shaking as he said it, more from anger than from fear. For Henry's own mercy, not that I felt he was entitled to mercy, I hoped that he was taken care of by the Elders before Cole could get to him.

"What am I supposed to do?" I inquired. "I still have two weeks of school and finals coming up before I graduate, how am I supposed to maintain safety that way? And what about my work?" I realized finishing school was mundane compared to all of this, but how else was I supposed to react?

"Not to worry." He coaxed stroking my hair. "I have already arranged everything to ensure that you will still graduate as planned. Your final examinations are being sent here via computer; you will complete them and send them back to your teachers so they can calculate your final grade. It is safer that way; we have no idea who it is we can and cannot trust or the lengths Henry will go to in order to intimidate us. I know it may not be the ideal ending to your final year of high school, but unfortunately it is what we are left with. As far as work is concerned The Teahouse is closed until further notice."

I was much more okay with the arrangement than I thought I would be, and I realized that even if I wasn't alright with it I didn't exactly have a choice.

A hard tapping from the back door caused us all to whip around fiercely. Cole stiffened beside me and I heard a low growl come from him. "Stay all of you." Alexander said. He pulled the curtain open slowly and peered to the shadow on the other side of the door. "Do either of you know two blonde haired males, one of which is a young boy?"

"Tanner." I muttered. Cole growled again.

"That boy has no business being here, nor does his father." Cole said getting up. He opened the door quickly and ushered both of them in, or rather grabbed Tanner and dragged him in with his father Jeffrey close behind. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "Do you have any sense whatsoever? Perhaps if you had the slightest bit of decorum and propriety you would realize that you should call before arriving at someone's home to make sure that it is an appropriate time, and I will tell you now is far from the right time. You should leave now before you put yourselves or any of us in danger."

"Well make it the right time." Tanner said. "Dad and I have all but been booted out of this place and told to find somewhere safe to hide. We barely got away from the goons breathing down our necks hoping to get us out by noon. What's going on?"

"That's none of your concern." Cole said.

"It is now." Mr. Anderson said. "Let's stop playing around Cole; we know what you are and what Selene is. We don't care what's happening but we want to help."

"How does this man know Cole?" Alexander asked.

"He and his son have a terrible habit of meddling into people's lives and wanting to fix things that aren't broken." Cole said.

"Quit thinking that just because you're a vampire and the problems happening in this town have to do with your race that you are the only ones that can fix it. _Let _us help you." Mr. Anderson said.

My hands were shaking, I took a deep breath and prepared to do something I always knew I could do, but never actually did do. I swooshed past Tanner and his father, as quick as lightning I threw Mr. Anderson across the floor; he slid easily from the back door all the way to the wall on the opposite end. Then I grabbed Tanner by the collar and in one graceful bound we were both up in the air, him with his limbs flailing about trying to find the ground. I landed about two feet in front of Mr. Anderson with Tanner's shirt collar still a wad of fabric in my hand. I hoisted him up and with my free hand grabbed his hair and pulled his head back exposing his neck. I released my fangs and growled before finally letting him go.

I stood up in satisfaction, making my teeth go back to looking like ordinary human teeth. Both Tanner and his father looked at me in horror. "I don't know who you dealt with before or what made you think you were qualified to fight my kind; but it is obvious that you do not have what it takes to fight us off. You let your guard down for just a moment and look what happened, I could have killed you. This is beyond what you think you know about vampires."

They both jumped up quickly brushing themselves off. "We weren't prepared because we trusted you that's all." Tanner defended.

"And why do you trust me?" I asked. "Because I don't cause a fuss and seem like an ordinary young girl? You do realize most vampires are like me; calm, discrete, normal even. We eat with you in restaurants, we sit next to you in class and we drive along side you on the road. And bear this in mind, it's only been a couple of decades since vampire stopped feeding from humans and some still do today, and it's only been a few centuries where we had been taught not to drain our victims to the point of death. I am your predator; you don't know what you've gotten yourself into. You both are respectable people; you might find it safer to distance yourself from our kind."

"She's right." Cole said. "We keep our secrecy for a reason. Humans are under the impression that they are on the top of the food chain; and they like that power. It's why they kill animals that turn on their masters or wild beasts that protect their homes in the jungle, because anyone or anything that can harm them is a threat to their power which is why we keep it a secret. If humans knew about us we would all be staked."

"We wouldn't stake you." Mr. Anderson said.

"Why not?" Cole asked him. "You want to protect the vampires; you don't know that _we_ are not threats to the race." He sighed. "We can banter around for hours; the point is you put us in more danger than safety. We're not asking, we're telling you—leave. Do not interfere with this; it is beyond your control."

"Whatever." Tanner said shuffling off to a different room obviously overwhelmed. I followed him there.

"Tanner." I gently put my hand on his shoulder.

"Save it." He told me. I think I had overestimated him. As vampires we are _taught_ how to handle ourselves with these types of situations. We understand that we are always at risk of being in danger, so when the time comes that we are in danger; we don't panic. With Tanner, all he ever had known is stories about us; now that we're real I think it has become difficult for him to swallow. "Look I know you and Cole are probably right. I mean, I thought I could handle this, until I found out you were one of them."

"You don't like that I'm a vampire." It wasn't a question.

"It just doesn't seem to fit you." He mumbled. "So you were born this way?" I nodded. "And you and Cole…you're really, you know married and everything?"

"Yes." I said feeling a bit guilty.

"Look my dad is more disappointed that he can't play Superman." Tanner said shrugging off the conversation we just had. It made me feel a bit guiltier; I hadn't wanted to hurt him. "I'll go back in there and talk to him; I think I can convince him that he is wrong." He gave me a half smile and went back into the kitchen.

I blew out a big puff of air, my adrenaline still pumping from what I had done moments ago. "I think you got the point across." Cole said from behind me. I could tell even by his voice that he had his smile that would make any heart melt. He gave me a light kiss on the neck. "Everything is going to be fine Selene, I promise, I'd rather sever my own arm than let anyone, especially Henry come near you. Trust me."

I hoped he was right.


	30. Unexpected

**Chapter 30-Unexpected**

_Selene_

It did not take very long after I attacked Tanner and his father for them to agree to do as they were ordered and leave town. I remembered very clearly using my strengths against them to cause the both of them to practically cower at me.

I hadn't wanted to take it to the level that it went to. I felt so guilty that I had done something like that, I was not that type who showed off my abilities so I could let people know how powerful I was; I thought it was undignified and distasteful of my kind who did such. I realized however that despite how ashamed I felt, it had to be done.

I watched the clock tick by, for I was too tense to do anything else. Cole could hardly keep still. He kept pacing around the house and finding little things here and there to do. He was like a caged animal right now; he did not like restrictions. Cole's mother and father were both doing the same things they were doing this morning; as a matter of fact I doubted either of them left the kitchen. As for Uncle Matthew, I heard him moving about in his room, but he refused to leave it. I think he was far too ashamed himself to really face anyone.

The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed to one in the afternoon. I let out a jagged exhale. _Please have good news soon. _

I jumped up when the doorbell rang. It seemed to vibrate throughout the entire house causing everything to go hauntingly still. I got up to answer it; Cole was already leading the way with his parents close behind. From the corner of my eye I could see my uncle standing at the top of the staircase. Cole looked through the curtain and murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's great grandfather Jones."

He opened the door and nodded stiffly to Elder Jones. "Elder Henry has been found and is now in our custody." The Elder said without any warmth. The fact that he was so clinical about it didn't bother me in the least. I felt the rush of relief as did everyone else that we were finally free. "His punishment is to be execution by sundown at the latest. We wish to keep this current situation private until we can have a grand meeting with all the families to explain what has been happening."

"So we are safe to leave?" Uncle Matthew asked.

"Yes." Elder Jones muttered eyeing him hatefully. "But bear in mind _Matthew_, you are to stay in town until we deal with you; personally I feel Elder Malcolm's idea for punishing you is too soft, however his decision has been made. You are report to him as soon as he gives you notice and you will be confined in White Waters until your punishment has been carried out thoroughly. Consider yourself lucky." He nodded once and turned on his heel back down the walk.

"Good." Julianne clapped her hands together. "Cole, I've wanted to come here and visit old friends and such for quite some time and the first chance I get I have to be in hiding. Alexander and I will be heading to town and catching up with some acquaintances. We'll head back here afterward and see about maybe going back to our villa in Italy." She turned to Uncle Matthew. "If you hurry along and pack your things we will escort you home." He nodded in appreciation of her, Alexander grimaced but she ignored him. I was grateful that Cole and I would finally have some time alone again in our home.

For a moment there was tension between Cole and his parents. I couldn't tell if it was because he was upset that his parents were already planning on leaving, or something else, but he did not look pleased. It was as though there was this glass wall between them; visible to the naked eye but still no less impenetrable. I gave them a moment alone by going to the kitchen.

As I thought about what caused the rift between Cole and his parents I noticed something rather odd.

My cat Onyx's food bowl had been untouched; I set it out for him this morning, and he usually would need another serving of it by now. "Onyx?" I called out to him. Nothing. I opened the back door, the alarm system having already been disabled since Elder Jones left just moments ago. _He couldn't have gotten out could he? Oh poor thing, I wonder if he got locked out from the house and had to stay outside these past couple of days._ I quickly ran around the outside of the house to his usual hiding spots hoping to find him.

"Onyx?" I yelled out. Quick as lightening a black cat shot out from the woods and straight toward me. "There you are." I said to him sweetly. I scooped him up and massaged behind his ears. "Poor thing." He screeched loudly, and scratched me across the. He jumped down on the ground then ran half way to the house. I grabbed the spot where blood barely began to trickle. The scratch hadn't been deep and had already begun to heal, but it was so unlike Onyx. He had never scratched me before. He circled me once and then dashed back to the door of the house hissing at me when I wouldn't budge. I began to follow them but stopped cold.

Someone was behind me.

I turned quickly, my hand shot up to my mouth as I nearly screamed and the other hand went to my heart in shock. "Oh." I breathed. "Elder Jones, I thought you left a little while ago."

He sighed. "I'm terribly sorry for this my dear, but it's what you get when you and your family interfere where they are not supposed to." I furrowed my brow in confusion. And then the wooden stake in his hand whacked me across the temple.

Darkness.

I woke up in what looked like a basement. It was dingy and cold.

The room was mostly empty accept for a small stool and an air mattress with a single blanket on it. There was also door that led to what looked like a bathroom was also in the room and a low watt light bulb hung from the middle of the ceiling. My gaze followed a staircase that inclined to a wooden door that was shut tight, undoubtedly locked.

The door swung open and two male figures tromped downstairs.

I prepared to fight them until I realized who they were. _Both_ Elder Jones and Elder Henry.

_That's right. _Elder Jones had been the one to attack me. He was the one who brought me here. And Elder Henry…oh no, they must be working together. _But that can't be._ That didn't matter now, what did matter was that I had to think of something; there was no way I could fight them, they were both far too strong. I had to find a way to outsmart them or at the very least distract them until someone realized that I was gone.

"Don't try anything funny." Elder Jones warned. "There is no need for anything to happen to _you_ Selene. That is unless you start thinking that you can save yourself from this endeavor."

"Why am I here?" I asked.

"It was unfortunate really." Elder Henry said. "The way things had to turn out. When my daughter and Jones' great grandson began to become an item we thought we had the perfect chance."

"The perfect chance to do what?" I couldn't understand. This was madness.

"To rule you silly girl." He shouted. "If Cole and Lena had married their child would have been a descendent of _two_ Elders. That is unprecedented. Any child they bore especially if it was a boy would have had a chance to overthrow that damn Elder Malcolm!" He began to pace now, while Elder Jones stood coolly as if he were enjoying a show. "Elder Malcolm with his moralistic ideals; he is too lax, he has so much power to really control everything and he gives it up. Disgraceful."

"So, Henry and I came up with a plan." Elder Jones continued. "We would use their child as the key to taking over the Elder's council. The child would overthrow Malcolm, or at the very least lower his rankings and Henry and I would control the child's decisions. The other Elders; Victor and Richard would be powerless."

"But then everything changed." Elder Henry said, his eyes going flat and dark. Then he turned slowly to look at me. "Your uncle came wildly down the road causing me to swerve and kill…my own child. And that pathetic excuse for a man—that human! Your uncle ruined everything, and he has to pay. So does your husband…"

_No._ "Why?" I looked to Elder Jones. "He's your own great grandson and he had nothing to do with this why does he have to be punished for this?"

"Cole needed to fight for Lena!" Elder Henry said. "But no, he gave up so easily. _He _did not realize the power he could have had! The prestige would have been limitless. My own daughter was enchanted by the human boy but I could have easily knocked some sense into her if I so desired. But Cole—"

"Cole…did not disgrace his family's honor by choosing a human." Elder Jones said, for a moment I saw a beacon of hope that maybe if they turned against each other, and that I would have a chance to escape. "However, his lack of interest in the plan let me know that he was disposable."

"Disposable?" I breathed. Elder Jones looked at me as though he had forgotten I was there.

"Yes." He answered. "I came to Cole telling him what he could have and he said that he would take his position with honor but that he would not be interested in Lena any further. I begged him to understand what it could mean if he and Lena had offspring. He said that he would rather step down than be with Lena and unhappy; he is far too much like that twittering mother of his. So, I decided that I would let him seal his own fate. When I allowed Henry to conspire with Matthew to let the blame fall on Cole for Lena's death I thought it would be proper punishment."

"But Henry said that his plan was to destroy all the Wilshires." I said hoping it was enough to further push the slight tension between the two men. _If I can get them fighting I think I can be fast enough to run out of here._

"I am aware of what he said." Elder Jones brushed off. "Again, part of the plan." He pulled out a wooden stake so fast at first I wasn't sure if it was what I had seen. But I knew for sure when I heard Elder Henry gasp in pain and fall to the floor, the wooden stake poking out from his heart. His body became sunken, then Elder Jones lit a match and the body became nothing at all but windblown ash "Waste." He muttered toward his corpse. I reeled back in horror. "Come now Selene, you really think that _I _would let his daughter tainted with human filth come crawling back to Cole? Never. It was a blessing to our kind that she was killed, and by her own father." He chuckled. "I set Henry up to be destroyed knowing he was too wild to have any control. I allowed Henry to destroy Matthew, I allowed him to ruin Cole's reputation and I allowed him to start attacking everyone in town with stakes. All to ruin him."

"But why?" I was more confused than ever now. "And if you're not bent on getting revenge for Lena like Henry was then why am I here?"

"Henry had no business being an Elder—that was all Malcolm's doing." He paced slowly, but his eyes were filled with rage. "_Malcolm _never should have been Head Elder—it should have been me! My great great great grandfather was too chicken to take on the role as Head Elder so he stepped aside for Malcolm's family and the Wilshire's have been second ever since. Then men like Henry and Richard were appointed as Elders we became weak. It's disgraceful. That's where you come in." I gulped. "You see, Cole will do anything for his precious little wife. Even kill for her. As will Matthew for his dear estranged niece. The two of them will aid me in destroying the remaining Elder members. Afterward they will say that it was _I _who killed Elder Henry, the traitor wanting revenge for his daughter. I'll be a hero. Then I will make my own appointments to the Elder Chairs. I will fill them entirely with the Wilshire family if I have to. Cole would be a good second in command if he can get his head straight…and then your children will be next in line to fill seats when they are of age."

"Your plan will never work." I challenged.

"Yes it will, and you know it will." He stepped closer. "And don't think I don't know about Cole not wanting children. I am very well aware of that; again he will change his mind knowing _I _hold your fate. It's a shame though, the boy actually wanted to be a father, but when _his own father_ found out about my plans to use his and Lena's child him and his wife went to Cole and warned him; of course it was years after Lena's death, but they still feared I would do the same to any offspring of his. Cole refused to believe them, thinking that they were just trying to control his life, they fought with one another until finally he pushed them away, confining himself in my old home and then pining after you for years. I do not know what made him catch on, but I will find out."

_Cole must have changed his mind when Elder Jones kept his position as Elder because of the attacks. Cole was supposed to take his seat as Elder once we were married but then everything changed so quickly. _I almost bet that he wanted to make sure that he had his position as Elder first so that way _he _would be in control…but there's just one thing… "But Cole has always intended on taking his spot as an Elder, how could you have controlled any of his children if you were no longer in power?" I asked.

"Oh that—I most likely would have killed Lena and Cole if they had married and had a child, to get them out of the way, then I would have taken my position back and resumed the plan as I told you…but that's no longer necessary now since all the Elders are to be Wilshire's with me as the head. Good bye now, I'm expecting a frantic call from your dear husband.

I watched him walk up the stairs and then plopped down onto the ground with my head in my hands. _He cannot get away with this, even if he kills all the Elders, Cole will find a way to destroy Jones before he can do anything more. I just know it._

The door slammed shut, and I was left alone.

I would figure out something. I have lost too much family already…I said, thinking of my parents—the first time I had really thought about them in months. Not that I had forgotten them, it was just that being with Cole made the aching of their death go away. But their death was in the past, and I was too young and helpless to try and help my family then, even if they had died in an accident. This time however I was prepared, and this time I was going to fight.

No matter what.


	31. Rescue Mission

**Chapter 31-Rescue Mission**

_Cole_

Selene had left the room and I stood there facing my parents. There was so much animosity between us, years of tension and unattended to feelings were welling up right there. I thought about when it first began, back when I told my father that I would be accepting the position as Elder once great grandfather Jones decided to step down. I was sixteen, nearly seventeen; the age one is considered an adult in the vampire world. I had just started seeing Lena. My parents were not happy, father distrusted Jones to the deepest core of his being, and he felt that Jones' only desire was his power as Elder and that he would only use me to continue to have control over our race. I chose to believe better of him.

Then when Jones started pushing me and Lena together mother came to me telling me that she felt that there was something wrong with how enthusiastic he was; I thought at the time it was her odd dislike for Lena's family that motivated her to want to keep us apart. It wasn't long after that Lena and I did break ways…and then she died; or so it was confirmed by Jones earlier. My parents wanted to take me out of White Waters but I insisted that it was my home and refused to leave under any circumstances. Those were the final things that truly splintered our relationship. My parents wanted to see the world, something that was put on hold because of my birth—I started to feel that all they cared about was going back to the life they had to put on hold for seventeen years rather than care for me and what I needed at the time.

I realized now I may have been too sensitive and stubborn in my own right to realize they only wanted to protect me. Yet the silence between us would not subside, neither party knew what to say. I opened my mouth to speak…_Just say anything…_my mind told me. I closed my mouth and took a deep breath prepared to speak again, when a gut wrenching screeching swiped into the room.

Selene's black feline Onyx came in clearly distressed over something. He hissed and swiped at my leg then screeched once more.

"That's odd." I said

"What is?" My mother asked.

"The cat is usually very well tempered; I don't think I have ever really heard it do anything but purr before."

"I wonder what could be bothering it." My mother said slightly dismissively, she was more concerned with dealing with me than Selene's—

"Selene." I uttered. _Something is not right._ I began to walk toward the back of the house where Selene had left to calling out her name. "Selene! Selene answer me! Selene?" Her cat sped beside me and to the backyard. I heard Matthew come up behind me.

"What's going on? Where's Selene?" I could tell he sensed the tension as well.

"Something is terribly wrong." I muttered looking at the sliding glass door. A note was attached. I pulled it off and opened it. My hand shaking as I read its content.

_I will be contacting you soon. Do as I say, and Selene may live to see you again._

I froze in fear. The first time in my life I ever really recall being afraid. If anyone hurt her, if this monster so much as splits a hair on her head…I couldn't even finish the thought; all that came to mind was the cruel punishment that would follow anyone who hurt her.

It wasn't over.

Hours passed and I became more and more nervous with each passing second. I hovered over the phone expecting that whoever had Selene would use it as communication.

"Who could have taken her?" Matthew asked for the hundredth time.

"I don't know." I responded. "Jones said that the Elders had already captured Henry; who else could want to steal her for ransom of some sort?"

"Maybe someone else was working with Henry." My father suggested. We all looked to Matthew for some sort of explanation.

"Look," he began jaw tightening at the apparent accusation. "The only person I ever dealt with was Henry, he never even mentioned a possible third party, and I have no way of knowing who could have taken her!"

The sharp sound of the phone ringing ended conversation with a deadly halt.

"Hello?" I said answering the phone before it could ring twice.

"Hello Cole." It was great grandfather Jones.

"I don't have time—"

"For your lovely wife?" He finished.

"What?" My voice was hoarse. Matthew and my parents gathered around me and watched me carefully.

"_I _have Selene." His voice almost sounded…proud. "I shall spare you the details, but let's just say you and Matthew are to blame for this having to go this far Cole; you're a smart boy, I'm sure you can deduce what pray tell led o all of this."

I thought for a moment and then stiffened, my hand clenching into a fist as if I had the power to plunge through the phone and strangle Jones myself. _It was about Lena, and power and Jones' desire to control things by his means. _So my parents were right all along, I should have suspected such, I had began to believe that as of late; something's had just seemed off with Jones. _So he was behind it the whole time._ "You want power, you cannot have the kind you would have had with me and Lena as mates, but you can get close with Selene as your bait."

"Precisely." He beamed. "See I knew you were a bright boy, you just let your emotions get the better of you."

"You ruined me." I also deduced. "You knew I didn't kill Lena, but you let people think that."

"Right again." By now My parents were starting to catch on to what was happening, and I could tell by the sickened look on Matthew's face that he had figured this out already, that he assumed the worst that there was another traitor; one far more dangerous than Henry.

"What is it you want me to do?" I asked.

"You and Matthew will kill the other three Elders."

"What happened to Henry?"

"Disposed." He muttered dismissively. "As will Selene be, if you do not get the job done in a timely manner. Once you've killed them I want you to tell the whole town that the Elders minus me were conspiring against each other for power, and that when I tried to stop them they locked me away. You'll come out as heroes worry not, and when I feel that our community has been thoroughly convinced, I will release Selene into your arms. Afterward I shall highly recommend you and her start and getting me heirs to serve as the remaining Elder council, so that the rightful family will serve as the entire Elder board. Move quickly, or I might get impatient and do something drastic to Selene." I heard the phone click and then simply the dial tone.

"It's worse than we thought. Isn't it Cole?" My mother asked. I nodded, and then I prepared to tell them just what was going to happen. Upon telling them everything that I had figured out and what had been told to me by Jones there was immediate outbursts from everyone.

"We should go to Malcolm now." Mother said.

"Jones is smarter than that; he probably is with Malcolm as we speak making sure we get the job done." Father said.

"We _should_ be finding Selene." Matthew put in. "He is powerless without her as ammunition to get us doing what he wants, once we have her we can focus on killing him."

The all made good points, but I was so focused on one thing that I could barely process what everyone was truly saying. _Get Selene back._ The only sure way I knew how to do that was to do what my great grandfather wanted and kill the other Elders. _But there's no guarantee that he will giver her back or even keep her alive once that has been done. _I countered myself. _He knows that once I get her back I will do anything to avenge the harm he's put her through; he must know that I would kill him the second I get her back. _He must be lying. This means that Matthew is right; we have to find her first and fast if there is even a smidge of a chance to save her.

"What do you propose we do Matthew?" I looked up at him.

"What?" His eyebrows arched up in shock.

"You said out main goal is to get her back first, and I agree, if Jones has lied about this much and tried to even destroy his own family, who knows what else he has lied about in order to achieve what he wants. Now, where do you think he is hiding her?"

"Some place where not anyone could just walk in. Like an abandoned building or some underground lair." Matthew guessed.

"Elder Hall." I said. "No on goes there unless invited by the Elders and the Hall is where the holding rooms are for vampires who have to face extreme sentences. She could be down there. It would be the last place Jones would think that any of us would look."

"The key is though, how we get down to the holding cells." Father said. "You have the key to The Teahouse but you don't have the keys to the Elder Hall chambers." He looked to me. "Correct?" I nodded.

"The buildings are all locked with custom made pieces, things that cannot be deactivated by computers or simply picked open."

"We could try burning the door down, then putting out the fire so it wouldn't harm Selene." Matthew said absentmindedly.

"It's too big of a risk." I said. "We could hurt her."

"Then we'll figure it out when we get there!" He shouted. "I don't care, once we find her we can decide what to do, we don't even know for sure if she is being held at Elder Hall, all we do know is that we have to be fast no matter what we do."

_Selene_

It was cold and dark most would have been frightened, most would have their hearts beating out of their chests when they heard the pounding that come from the door.

But most were not like me.

I could tell by the heartbeats of the three figures on the other side of the door that there were two humans, and a vampire; female, by the softness of the heartbeat, whereas a man's is much harder and far more fierce like a jungle cat. I had trained myself for years to ignore heartbeats, especially when it came to distinguishing vampire and human, male and female, sick and healthy; it was far too distracting for me to deal with. Though it was probably why I was in this predicament in the first place. If I had paid attention today I would have heard the older male vampire heartbeat and I might have run in the house for safety before waiting to see the face that matched the sounds, but alas, my quest to be discrete and normal…by human standards anyway left me crippled. But now…now it was all I could do to not hear the sounds of the three heartbeats. The combination was odd; what vampire female accompanied by two human males, want with my own personal dungeon.

The door from the top of the stair swung open and I hid in the shadows. I figured the vampire could still see me, but I stayed hidden none the less. I peered carefully from my spot to make out face shapes.

"Selene?" A familiar voice said.

"Tanner?" His blonde head bobbed down to me followed by his father and the woman who stayed at the top of the stairs.

"Enough." She said, her voice was low and exotic sounding though she had no accent. "Bring her up here or we won't stand a chance."

"What's going on?" I asked. Tanner's father grabbed my arm and led the three of us upstairs.

"We are here to rescue you, with the help of her." Tanner smiled with a nod toward the young girl. "And you thought we couldn't be any help."

"I don't understand." I said as I made it up the stairs and what was the kitchen which attached to the basement.

"Well, my son and I did some research on your situation and we were able to find out something that very well may help us all fix everything." He said.

"Which was?"

"Me." The girl said. It was the first time my mind had stopped racing, I took the time to really look at her. She was beautiful, as to be expected. Her chestnut hair fell into perfectly smooth waves all the way down to her waist. Her eyes were slightly almond shaped and had Egyptian style eyeliner painted on in a very subtle shade of brown so that it almost seemed unnoticeable next to her crystal blue eyes. Her high cheekbones were swept with light blush over her olive skin and her athletic body was clad into dark jeans, suede black boots and a red camisole.

"Who are you?" I asked. Her face seemed so familiar.

"My name…" She drew out slowly. "Is Lena."

_Cole_

We made it to The Teahouse in record time, vying to go on foot rather than taking a car so that if Jones happened to be walking around town it would be harder for him to spot us or catch on to our plan. We hovered over to the secret entrance of the hall, seeing the keyhole's odd shaped.

"What is it?" Matthew asked, looking at the carved cut out where some object was to act as a key.

"It's a falcon." My mother said. "A very delicate and intricate looking one as well, it is even has the grooves and shape of the wings specified, It would be impossible to just try and fit anything in this and hope it works."

I touched it gently afraid that I would never be able to get through to the other side. And then something just hit me. "She's not in there."

"What?" My father asked, "Cole you cannot be too sure."

"Yes I can." I said disregarding him. "She's not in there, it's more obvious than I thought, Jones is playing games, he knew I would do anything he requested to get her back, but he knew I wouldn't think things through first and just try to find her myself, just like when I went to her room the night Matthew refused my request to marry her, just like when I would bait her and try to get her angry in the beginning so she would talk to me, just like the night Jones told me about finding Lena's body, and how I could be in danger of being accused of murder, but I was more focused on Selene. He knows when Selene is involved the only thing I can think about is _her_ and not the consequences that come with trying to have her; whatever the case may be." I sighed. "She's not here. She can't be." Then I heard what I expected to hear, footsteps and the beating heart of a vampire. My parents and Matthew heard it too. We turned to see Jones in all his glory, standing there with a wide smile on his face.

"Much smarter than I thought." He said to me. "But unfortunate that your thinking came too late, if only you figured that out in the beginning you might have thought of more logical places that I could keep her. I figured there was a chance you would try to find her first so I had to make sure that that option was available so I could find out if you were willing to do as I said to get her back, or if you would try to be the hero. I tried to make it easy for you to find her, but your thinking wasn't that quick now was it? Such a shame."


	32. Risky

**Chapter 32-Risky**

_Selene_

We drove quickly taking a rusted beige van that Lena had "borrowed" from someone. I recognized the van to belong to one of the human mothers in town who had five children that she often carted from home to school to soccer practices; I hoped to have it returned before she noticed.

_So Lena's alive…all this time._ Bits and pieces made sense while other things just seemed to not have any relevance at all. Elder Jones had said that she had died; he confirmed it by coming over to my home and telling Cole that the bodies of Lena and her human love had been discovered. _He must have lied; it was probably part of the plan._

But then I thought about what Uncle Matthew had said, he told me that he saw Elder Henry hit Lena with his car, and that she went into the water, I know Uncle Matthew would not lie, not at this point anyway, so how was it that she got away? And where has she been all this time? Where is the boy she ran away with now?

Lena told me few details, all she said that she was going to wait to have everyone gathered so that she would only have to recite her story once, and that after that she wanted no questions. I looked at her from the passenger seat, Tanner and Jeffrey Anderson sat in the back muttering back and forth to each other, I paid no attention to them.

She seemed to have a lot of wisdom and experience in her blue eyes, far more than the average twenty seven year old would have. Her entire presence was regal and demure if not slightly cold, for she seemed to have been so hurt in the past that she protected herself with a coat of armor.

I looked away and paid attention to where she was heading down the road, I noted that she was careful to keep her lights low and not appear too obvious that she was trying to get somewhere in a hurry. I could see that every now and then she would look over and study _me_. I knew what she wanted to know, but I waited for her to ask me herself rather than offer any information.

"Is it true you and Cole are married?" She asked, staring back at the road. I heard Tanner and his father stop talking, though they pretended not to pay attention to us once they realized that we knew they were listening in.

"Yes, it's true." I stated simply. _Here we go again._

"For how long?" Her voice only had a slight edge of eagerness to know the answers, but for the most part she seemed to be speaking to me as though we were old acquaintances who hadn't spoken in years and just wanted to catch up with one another.

"Only a couple months now." I said. I realized I probably could have been a little less direct, maybe even provide her with a bit of hows and whys, but it just did not seem to be an appropriate conversation at this point in time. Besides, if she decided to really come back to White Waters then she would know the detail eventually; though depending on who told her the facts could get embellished a bit. I didn't really mind that.

"You're, awfully young." She noted, not insultingly, but more as though that she was mildly surprised.

"Yes I am." I started. "Cole doesn't seem to mind it very much, though I can't say the same for anyone else."

"Well, Cole is not one to care about what others think of his actions or his choices in life." She remarked. "Nor is he someone that follows the rules."

"True."

She nodded and was quiet again. I was grateful, the last thing I wanted was to get into yet another conversation about how he was so much older and I younger, and how he and I hadn't really known each other when he tried to marry me.

We pulled up to the spot and she spoke once more, this time to Tanner and his father. "You two will stay in the car." She said looking back at them through the rearview mirror. "Jeffrey, I want you to come take the wheel and be prepared to start the car quickly if we need to escape. Tanner, you should probably come and sit in the front, heavens knows who all is in on this and you two are less vulnerable if your close together and _armed_". She eyed the stakes in their hands that they had been clutching ever since we got into the car. Her voice was so filled with authority that neither gentleman questioned her in the least.

"Are you sure that they will be here?" She asked me looking ahead.

I glance up at the sign in front of the store. A purple teacup hung loosely on the eaves with gold lettering eloquently writing out 'The Teahouse' on it. "Yes I'm sure." I confirmed. "I know Cole, he will try and find me before doing whatever Elder Jones told him to do and I am almost sure that he would think to look for me here first, in the dungeons."

"You cannot get into the dungeons without a special key; it would be a dead end for them." She pointed out. "Are you certain he would even bother with this place?"

"Like you said, Cole is not one to follow the rules. If he even has the slightest feeling that I'm locked here he will do whatever it takes to get inside it and try to rescue me." I paused and looked at the building once more. "He's here; I can just feel it."

At last she nodded. We stepped out of the car and quickly went to the side of the building. The door to the store front had been left unlocked; I remembered that I had been the last one in the store and I _knew_ I locked it. _So someone is here, I just knew it. _I thought to myself. Lena pulled a two stakes from her belt handing one to me. "You know what to do." She whispered.

Carefully we crept inside. Both of us became tense when we could hear voices coming from the back room.

"I tried to make it easy for you to find her, but your thinking wasn't that quick was it?" A voice said. I looked over to Lena, 'Elder Jones,' she mouthed. I moved quickly behind her, we were only on the other side of the door now between the counter and the back room, I could see Cole through a crack in the door. "Such a shame." Elder Jones said.

"You can't beat us grandfather." I heard Alexander say. "There is four of us and one of you. We could kill you now if we wanted, then go to the rest of the Elders with the real truth. We would find Selene in time." His voice was filled with confidence, "You've lost Jones."

"Have I?" He asked. "What makes you so certain that she is even here? She's been gone at least a few hours; I could have had someone ship her off on a plane by now. You'll never find her without my help." I could see every muscle in Cole's neck tighten. His brilliant green eyes seemed to darken as his pupils widened. He was prepared to kill.

"I don't care how long it takes or where I have to go…but I'll find her, and I'll find her with you dead." His voice was almost in a growl. "I'll be damned if I stand aside and allow you to have power over everyone Jones. Give up now, and perhaps when we turn you over to the rest of the Elders they will have mercy."

I could not see Jones' eyes, only the back of his head. His body seemed cool and relaxed. "I'm sure you'll change your mind." He said. I saw him move, I tried to move quicker, but Jones' years were far more superior to mine which made him more physically powerful. Within seconds he reached through the opening of the door with a fistful of my hair in his hand. Lena hid beneath the counter. He pulled me to him with a stake hovering over my heart. I had knocked over a shelf full of vases in the process; they came crashing down in millions of pieces. I faced Cole, his parents and Matthew all with terrified looks on their faces. Tell your female friend to come out too Selene. I know she's here, I could hear her breathing and her heartbeat." I refused to speak. "Tell her now!" He shouted.

The front door of the store opened and I heard Tanner and his father come. _They must have heard the glass breaking. _They were coming in through the door now. _No he'll kill them! _I panicked. I struggled as both men came in with their stakes raised. They halted when they saw me. "Let her go." Mr. Anderson warned.

"You are in no position to bargain you pathetic human." He spat. "You and your son stand over there with the others or I will kill her on the spot." They complied carefully moving over toward where Cole was standing. "Kick the stakes over here." He instructed. I heard the pieces of wood scatter over to my feet. "Now." He said, jerking my arm. "Tell your little friend to come out from her hiding place." I didn't have to. I could hear the beating of boots against the hardwood floor as Lena walked in. Gasps filled the room, from the corner of my eyes I even saw Elder Jones jerk in reaction. Cole's eyes filled with confusion and then awe. "Lena Edward." Jones said. "Alive after all, I have to say that even I'm surprised. How could this be?"

She did not answer. She dropped her stake and walked over to where the others were a look of pure disgust on her face.

"You're not going to kill Selene." Cole said suddenly calm, and suddenly not even caring that Lena was alive. He boldly stepped forward. "If you did it would turn everyone in this room against you, and there is no way you can take on all of us at once. She is no use to you dead; she's your ticket to wealth and well being."

He began to walk backward toward the store front still holding on to me. "Looks like I'll have to just borrow her longer than I intended than won't I Cole?" He laughed coldly. "You have until sundown tomorrow to have the other three Elders killed or I will murder her. I may not get what I want out of this Cole, but I will also no let you have what you want." His voice sounded on the edge of insanity. Then it was calm again. "It can be a win-win, it's just up to you, whose more important to you dear boy? The girl you worked so hard to get, the one who is your most prized possession? Or saving three measly council members and preventing me from getting the power that our family deserves? We could have it all Cole, the Wilshire family was meant for glory and power, and you could share that with her,"he continued jerking my arm again; "if you choose correctly."

Cole looked at me in agony. "I…"

"I don't understand how you get so easily enchanted by things Cole." He remarked. "I mean, you wanted this little girl…who I must say is far too obtuse for my taste."

Then it hit me. His words told it all.

I was going to die anyway.

Sure, Jones may get Cole to kill the other Elders and single handedly put Jones into power, but once Jones created the council full of Wilshire members, undoubtedly the children that he would pressure me and Cole into having, he would do away with us both.

His very insult against my intelligence and Cole's focus led me to realize that we were only pawns to him, and pawns are discarded once they are useless to winning the game.

It wouldn't matter what Cole chose, we were all going to die by his hand eventually.

Cole's parents would die too, and Uncle Matthew of course. It wouldn't surprise me if droves of families began dying for not complying with Jones, he would destroy the race.

And it wasn't going to start with me.

But it was going to end with me.

I was going to sacrifice myself.

I gave Cole one last long look. "I love you." I mouthed to him.

He shook his head and whispered to me. "No."

"No what?" Jones asked in confusion.

I plunged myself into the stake.

It hurt very much. I could see it sticking from my chest and blood staining my dress as I fell to the floor.

"Selene!" Cole shouted to me.

Jones looked at me in shock as I gasped in pain on the floor. He bent down beside me a mixture of bewilderment, defeat and anger on his face. "What did you do? Why did you do that?" He screamed. His face was beat red and sweat dripped down the side of his face. He truly looked afraid and defeated this time.

With what little power I had left I pulled the stake from my chest gasping as I did so, and then plunged it straight into Jones' heart. "So I could to that." I answered in gasps. His face turned a sheet white and he fell beside me, the stake slipping from his chest and staying in my hand as he rolled over.

"You…" He trailed.

I looked over to him. Uncle Matthew ran to me taking the stake from my hand and plunging it into Jones chest three more times. He stood over him for a moment, just looking at him, tears threatening to run down his face.

"Cole." I said turning over to my husband.

He came over to me and touched the side of my face. "Selene, I'm sorry." His voice was hoarse, I saw crystal liquid brim over his eyes.

"You can't protect me from everything Cole." I told him. "Sometimes you have to let me fight for myself. I'm a lot stronger than you give me credit for." Uncle Matthew came to sit beside me too.

"I know." He said. He leaned over to kiss me on the lips; I kissed back hard smiling a little. "You smell…like human." He said his eyebrows needing together as he pulled away from me.

I smiled wider and sat up carefully. I reached down the front of my top and pulled out a strategically placed bag of blood that had been punctured, it revealed only a tiny whole that had actually gone through to my skin.

"I had a feeling it would come to this." I told him. "So I had to improvise." I started to stand up taking Cole's and Uncle Matthew's hands to guide them up as well. "Henry and Jones left a cooler with blood bags in it for me. I kept this inside my shirt for safe keeping; I figured it would have some use sooner or later, if not to replenish someone to use it to fake being staked, as I did so now."

"Fake being staked?" Uncle Matthew's voice was in disbelief. "So you're…"

"I should lose this little knick in my chest within the hour." I told him. "I knew when Jones started insulting me and Cole about our intelligence that he was going to kill us anyway, so I took my chance." I looked at him as he was inches from death. He looked back at me fully understanding that he had been played. "How's that for obtuse?" I spat

"So-so your okay?" Tanner asked from behind.

I smiled and nodded, quite proud that my plan had worked. Cole kissed me again, this time more ferocious than what it had been moments ago; he lifted me up so that we were eye level then broke apart from me. "You're brilliant." Kiss. "And if you ever do that to me again, I'll kill you myself." I laughed as he spun me around once.

"I am very proud of you." Uncle Matthew said patting the back of my head once Cole put me down. "That took a lot of courage and a lot of compassion…just like your parents had done in their last moments of life." He smiled and I realized that he was right. My parents had died saving people from a burning building, they got everyone our except themselves, I felt an intense connection to them more than ever…I also noticed Uncle Matthew had actually complimented both of my parents this time rather than insult them. _Some things do change._

I smiled my heart filling with a whole new kind of joy.

"I don't mean to break up this love fest, but we have company." Lena said. She nodded to the window where Elder Malcolm approached with Elders Victor and Richard behind him.

Cole helped me to my feet while they walked in. Their faces grew in shock as they looked to Jones' body which was now completely lifeless, to my stained dress, then to the two humans that were hovering in a corner and finally up to where Lena was. "We have a lot to explain to the three of you." Lena said.

"Clearly." Elder Malcolm said.


	33. Decisions, Decisions

**Chapter 33-Decisions, Decisions**

_Cole_

Selene scared me so terribly; I saw the look in her eyes and I knew in my heart what she was planning to do. I tried to tell her not to, knowing it would not do any good. She would have done anything it took to protect me and everyone else from the fate that Jones tried to pave out for us. It was brave, and had she been anyone else I would have admired her efforts. However, she wasn't just anybody; she was my wife and the person who I loved most in this world. When she was lying on the floor I was just moments away from taking the stake from her hand and ending my own life; and while I was overjoyed that it was simply a rouse to throw off Jones, I was infuriated that she had done something so dangerous.

And then there was Lena. Seeing her alive was bittersweet. It was a relief that at long last all the questions could be answered and resolved. Yet at the same time I was deeply angry with her for leading everyone on in thinking she was dead, her actions had a hand in everything that happened since the accident and perhaps if she had thought of what she was leaving behind there would not have been so much destruction afterward.

Once the Elders arrived we explained the whole story from the night of Lena's accident to now, explaining every detail of the plan that Henry and Jones had created to take over our race and how they were blackmailing anyone and everyone they could. We each gave the stories as best as we knew; filling in gaps that the other might have left out or not known. At first they had seemed reluctant to believe us; they were still trying to wrap their minds about Henry being a traitor, then to find that there was indeed a second culprit who was yet another Elder, seemed impossible to them.

We had moved to Elder Hall and put Jones body in one of the dungeons…and then burned it. _Serves him right. _I thought. I sat next to Selene, while Matthew sat on her other side and Lena next to him. My parents sat in the seats in front of us, while Jeffrey and Tanner sat two rows behind. The three Elders positioned themselves in the three center Elder seats leaving the outside seats hauntingly vacant.

"All of you realize that we have several things which we are struggling with here." Malcolm said. "We have two rogue Elders; men who are supposed to be rightful citizens whose actions are meant to be for the better of our community. We also have another man who was a part of the conspiracy; and the only reason he was spared was because of his last minute turn around." Malcolm nodded over to Matthew who clenched his jaw in reaction. "Lastly there is the matter of Lena Edward, a girl presumed to be dead for ten years whose sudden reappearance seems a bit more than coincidental."

"That's my doing." Jeffrey Anderson said rising to his feet. _He should stay quiet._ I thought to myself. _He is a human in the domain of vampires and his knowledge of our kind could be deadly; the less he lets on about what he knows the better for him and his son it will be._ However I knew him better by now, he had pride and courage but he was also very ignorant; any vampire he had previously been associated with was one that had clearly failed to mention the power the Elders had, their word was law; at least when their word was being used properly.

"Excuse me?" Elder Richard said his eyebrows rising.

"My son and I tracked Lena down and told her what was going on and she came to help." Lena did not say a word. I felt myself get sickened with grief for him.

"You had no place in doing so." Elder Malcolm scolded. "Do not mistake me for being ungrateful for solving this mystery; it has cleared the name of Cole Wilshire. It has also helped Matthew Hayward for his part in her accident that terrible night. However you are human, I don't know how you developed knowledge of our world and I certainly cannot understand how you were able to continue to assess so much of that knowledge about our kind, but nonetheless it poses a great risk to our people."

"I would never betray you or your kind." Jeffrey said.

"An infamous statement uttered by many humans." Elder Victor told him. "Yet not a single one of their vampire friends lived to see the truth of that, Selene's grandparents Daniel and Coleen Parish were examples of that."

Selene shifted uncomfortable in her seat. Her eyes looked troubled with the memory of her mother's parents.

"This isn't the same." Matthew said. I was surprised by his defense of them; perhaps there was hope for his change in character. "These people _risked_ their lives for us, some of us were strangers to them, yet they proved that they were not only trustworthy but have a strong sense of initiative. Without them finding Lena, all of us; including the three of you could be dead."

"That is a possibility, but we don't know for sure." Elder Malcolm answered. "Tell me," he said moving on and looking to Lena; "Why is it you've lead us to believe you were dead all of this time?"

She rose to her feet, hands folded in front of her. "Let me be very clear. I had no idea that either Cole or Matthew would face the fates that they did. I saw my father do it as did Matthew; I figured since he was an Elder who hit his own daughter with his car that he would just come forward knowing he would not face any punishment. I had no idea that he would later blackmail Matthew or that _Cole_ would in any way be involved. If I had known I wouldn't have stayed away."

"Understood." Elder Malcolm consented.

"When my father hit me and Hull with his car, both of us went straight into the water. My legs were broken from the impact …and Hull…" She choked back tears. Matthew, who was sitting beside her, reached up and gently took her hand, he smiled at her and she returned one to him, lightly squeezing his hand back. "Hull hit his head on the rocks; he died instantly...though I hadn't realized it at the time. I just thought then that he was unconscious." She sniffed. "I allowed the current to drift me along, holding on to Hull hoping to get us to land. I looked back and saw that Matthew had tried to come down to the water to save me…I called out to him but my voice was so hoarse and the current was too loud. When we finally did get to shore I realized the truth about Hull." She exhaled deeply. "I was so weak, and my legs were still damaged from the car hitting me…and he was covered in blood…and I was thirsty…I had to feed… so I drank Hull dry. I was so ashamed."

"Then you stayed away." Elder Richard said gently. "For ten years almost, allowing everyone to think that you had died."

"Yes." She responded, and then continued with her story. "I fell asleep on the shore and when I woke a young couple out for a morning run had seen me and Hull. They notified an ambulance to come and help us. I was able to convince them that I was fine; then told them that my partner had fallen off a cliff when we were hiking and hit his head on some rocks, and that I myself tried to save him but was not strong or quick enough. They did not seem thoroughly convinced, but once the ambulance arrived to take away Hull's drained body I had already slipped away. I went to a few towns over to avoid being questioned; fortunately no one came looking for me. And I just …stayed away." She looked straight on to the Elders.

"What did you do?" I asked her. "All that time gone, no money and no family, what did you do?"

"I got through it day by day, I'd prefer not to go into detail, it's not important now." She said her eyes misty.

It was an unsettling answer for me, I felt I deserved to know more, but I chose not to press it. I don't know if I truly cared anyway. I mean _yes,_ I did care for Lena in a way that one friend would care for another, but I still felt her actions were very selfish. Even if she hadn't known what her father would do she still planned to let people grieve for her rather than come home and tell everyone the truth.

"I suppose justice for your father was properly served." Elder Malcolm commented quietly. The other two Elders whispered a few things to him and they all nodded. "I still have trouble in believing that Jones would have anything to do with this, he and I have known each other for years. For him to be a traitor…"

"But it's true." Selene said, speaking for the first time. She stood up and kept a firm eye on all three Elders. "He kidnapped me and told me everything, and then he proceeded to call Cole and threaten to harm me if Cole did not comply with his demands."

Elder Victor whispered something to Elder Malcolm who nodded in agreement. "We find that though the betrayal of Elder Jones is uncharacteristic, it can hardly be ruled out. After all, you were indeed truthful about Henry, for I don't feel that Lena is telling me a lie that it was her father who killed her, and subsequently I have believed from both Matthew and Cole that there was blackmail involved that would allow Henry to rise in hierarchy."

"Elder Jones however had motive as well." Elder Richard said. "Come to think of it, shouldn't it be the Wilshire family who head the Elders?"

"Yes." Elder Malcolm nodded uncomfortably. I tried to suppress a smirk.

"But generations ago a Wilshire stepped down and allowed the Boroughs family to take over, now that I recollect I don't think that Jones ever cared for that arrangement much."

Elder Malcolm nodded again before turning his glance toward Selene. She reeled back ever so slightly in shock but then tried to remain cool and level headed. Her small hands wrung together in her lap and she nibbled a bit on her full, pink bottom lip. I held both of her hands with one of mine, feeling her skin that was softer than anything else in the world. She looked down and smiled a bit of blush creeping to her cheeks then drew her attention back to Elder Malcolm. "Was it true when you informed me that it was you who killed Elder Jones?" He asked her.

"Yes sir, it was very true."

"It was self-defense." I added bitterly.

"I wasn't addressing you Cole." Elder Malcolm said with a voice that was quick like a knife. He continued speaking to Selene. "It's not in your character to inflict harm on someone my dear."

"No it is not." Her voice was a soft as could be, though it vibrated her normal bit of nervousness around people and how incredibly uncomfortable she was with being the center of attention, it did not falter.

"I do not think you would hurt anyone out of malice." He stated.

"No sir, that would be just horrible." She said, shuttering at the thought. "I did it to help the people that I loved, and the ones who saved me when Jones had me captive in Henry Edward's home.

"Very well." He nodded. "Since the Elders only have the power to punish those who actually commit the crime you would be the only one on trial." My body tensed, the only thing that ran through my mind is that I would surely kill all three of them, and anyone else who got in my way, mercilessly if it meant protecting her. She only killed Jones to save her family, she could have cared less about her own life, and I wasn't going to sit around and let her be punished for it. "We don't see a need for Selene to face any punishment, she has been through enough." Elder Malcolm finally said, as if reading the threats in my thoughts.

Selene bowed her head gracefully in gratitude.

"We still have the matter of the humans." Elder Victor put in.

"We will leave town." Jeffrey said. "We don't want any trouble.

"I don't know if that will be good enough." Elder Malcolm told him.

"It should be." My mother said to him. "You cannot punish them, not really, Elders have only dealt with human betrayers by punishing them to death, however I don't believe you've ever dealt with humans who have done some good to our race have you."

"No, we haven't." He admitted.

"Therefore punishing them would be cruel and unfitting." Her voice was at ease. "Let them leave White Waters if that will make you more comfortable, but do not punish them for saving our lives."

The three Elders whispered to each other and passed around pieces of papers with ideas written upon them on what they should do. "We've come to a fair decision." He said. "I will give you one of two options. You must either stay in White Waters where I can keep an eye on you, this will allow you to keep your jobs here and you home. However this first choice comes at a cost. You will not be allowed to leave this town at anytime for any reason. Option two is that you must leave here immediately. You will have the freedoms to live as you want elsewhere so long as you realize that I will be checking in on you constantly to make sure your loyalties remain. Should you choose this you will not be allowed to come back to White Waters, ever." It was an unfair ultimatum. The Elders knew that giving them a choice between White Waters and freedom would be an unquestionable decision. They would leave forever.

"How is that fair?" Tanner asked. "I like it here but I have family all over and I am starting college, how can you ask me to choose between two worlds?" Everyone looked to Malcolm for an answer.

"Because." He began. "We cannot have you carting yourselves back and forth, if the vampires here get wind that you know of their secret and frequently go from the town to another they will become suspicious of you and question our authorities as Elders. We already have enough damage control with the two traitors we don't need to be making ourselves responsible for two humans who want both worlds. Now, decide."

"We will have to leave." Jeffrey said sadly. Tanner opened his mouth to object but then shut it. "We have more to lose if we stay here as my boy said; family, future opportunities, and freedom. We will miss our friends in White Waters greatly, but we cannot stay here."

"You may be dismissed." Elder Malcolm nodded. "Your arrangements will be taken care of, if I'm not mistaken it was already set up for you two to leave White Waters, but you somehow escaped doing so. Mr. Jeffrey Anderson we have a job set up for you and a home back in Orlando and your son is set up to start at the college that he chose early this year to attend."

"With all due respect." Jeffrey said. "I do not need such favors. I still have my old home in Orlando that I kept in case my son and I needed to leave here, and I am perfectly capable of finding my own work. As far as my son he is already taken care of as well, I would just like for our things to be sent to the proper place."

I had a lot of new found respect for Jeffrey for that. "As you wish. We will still need your information so I could check up on you time and again however. You may say your goodbyes."

"Thank you." He answered.

Jeffrey and Tanner did not stay for long goodbyes or heartfelt words. For the most part they gave their best wishes to Selene and to Lena, who were really the only ones of the group who had had any faith in them. However, we all rose to give them handshakes and best wishes for their futures.

"We wish you well Lena." Jeffrey said. She smiled and kissed both gentlemen on the cheek then sat back down and looked ahead not wanting to watch them leave for the last time.

"I am so sorry that I had to attack you." Selene said apologetically. "I was doing it for a good reason."

"I know Selene." Jeffrey patted her hand. "We wish you very well with everything." I saw him give me a quick glance as he said it. I could tell that he still clearly remembered our awkward conversation in the bar earlier and that he still felt that Selene was no more than a conquest for me; but that didn't matter, I knew that I loved her for her and could care less about anyone else's interpretation.

Tanner gave her a quick and awkward hug, electing not to say anything to her, which I understood; he was very disappointed to find out that his chance with her was blown out of the water with me in the picture.

"We wish you well Cole." Jeffrey said giving me a polite handshake.

"You have a great deal of my respect, I know I may have been able to extend that before; but you have proved that you have an immense amount of loyalty and dignity which I admire." I told him.

"We never did it for you." Tanner said his father gave him an unappreciative look.

"This is part of why you have my respect." I answered him. He nodded, understanding a bit better now. My parents and Matthew simply gave them a handshake and at they descended out of Elder Hall. They were the first humans to ever enter Elder Hall and leave as heroes rather than be murdered as traitors. _Perhaps I should have had more faith in them._

"Cole." I looked to the Elder with full attention, but did not rise to my feet as I should have. "The Wilshire seat is now open for you, what with the turn of events of your late great grandfather, I am aware that you were willing to accept it, does that desire remain?"


	34. All Good Things

**Chapter 34-All Good Things**

_Selene_

We rocked along the porch swing watching the season change from spring to summer. The leaves on the trees were so green that they almost looked artificial as they blew with the gentle breeze and shone off the bright light of the sun. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of those very leaves and light trickle of the creek.

Cole's arm was draped over me as I rested my head on his shoulder. Our wedding rings were finally in place on the proper fingers. His silver band on his hand and my silver band and engagement ring on mine; now that I had finished high school we could be as public as we wanted with our marriage.

"I never really did think Elder Cole had a nice ring to it." I told him jokingly.

I didn't have to look at him to know that a light smile had formed on his lips. "It's a good thing I turned down Elder Malcolm and the others then, isn't it?" He mused. "Besides, I think I kind of like the idea of only having three Elders, I'm sure Elders Malcolm, Richard and Victor will do just nicely on their own."

I nodded in agreement as I remembered the shock on several people's faces when Cole turned down the position as Elder. He thought about it for a moment and then simply said no, giving no reasoning or justification to make the blow easier. Even after we left Elder Hall that night Cole refused to divulge any information as to why he made the decision he did—not even to me. It didn't bother me really, I actually preferred that he turned it down; being an Elder just wasn't him, it would be like dressing a tiger or a panther in a business suit and thinking it will suddenly be tame.

Not much really changed once we were free to leave Elder Hall the night I killed Jones. The Elders gathered the town around to share the news of what had happened, an event Cole and myself decided was best to be absent from.

Tanner and his father moved back to their old home in Orlando, according to Tanner when he snuck a call in; his father was able to get his old job back and Tanner was ready to join a university in the fall that was close to home. He was very sullen on the phone, a mood that did not suit his usual personality, and told me that he would miss White Waters very much but that he thought he needed to sever all ties from it. I had to admit I was a little saddened by this, Tanner and his father helped us so much, it was a shame things ended the way that they did.

News of Lena's life was still taking time to set in for many people, so she chose to stay out of town as much as possible to avoid listening to the whispers of others. Since the Elders were still dealing with the betrayal of Henry and Jones, their funds were frozen to see if there was any payoffs to anyone in town who might have also been in on the scheme, which meant that Lena would not have access to her father's fortune for a while, which meant she had limited funds for her to take care of herself. She did not seem to mind, having earned money for ten years while starting off without a penny to her name, however she was far from wealthy and White Waters was a very expensive place to live.

Fortunately, Uncle Matthew was kind enough to allow her to stay with him in the mean time which she gratefully accepted. I sensed that there was a bit more going on than just hospitality on my uncle's part, and gratitude on Lena's part; and that perhaps the happy ending that the two had long searched for may just be found in one another…once they stop denying their connection of course.

As for me, I finally graduated and was able to work at The Teahouse full time. Cole worked alongside me some of the time, but still dealt with his other businesses that he had worldwide which left me in need of some new workers. "I suppose I should start advertising that I need some part time people to help with the store, I offered a position to Lena, but she declined."

"I think she is afraid of me." Cole told me indifferently. "She thinks I am still angry over what she did."

"Are you?" I asked, unsure myself.

"I was for a short while." He admitted. "But there's no sense in holding a grudge against her forever, though I don't think her and I will ever be able to even be friends again, we have both changed so much as it is I don't think I would know where to start with her. Adding the trouble she put me through on top of that does not make for a good foundation of friendship."

"I see. And Uncle Matthew?"

"He and I will come to terms I think." He said positively. "I think I can forgive him for trying to destroy me and my family, he was in a very tough spot I suppose. We both have one thing in common; which is loving and protecting you; now that we both understand that in each other I'm sure we can be civil." I smiled in satisfaction.

We were silent a while longer.

"I'm sure we will find a few people more than willing to lend a hand at the store." He said going back to my previous concern. "A few humans sent in applications the other day; I have them in my office. They may not be good for much other than loading shelves and ringing up customers, but at least they can help while you design, and I'm still around enough to deal with the clients that are outside of White Waters."

"True." I noted, I felt my feelings of sorrow come through me again. _No!_ I scolded myself, _you promised that you would not bring that up again, let it just deal with itself on its own._ Yet as much as I told myself to get passed the one thing that was still tugging at me the feelings of hurt and longing did not subside.

"Is something bothering you?" Cole asked.

"No." I lied, and then decided to change the subject. "When are your parents expected to visit again?" I asked him, he looked away a little a bit uncomfortable with the question. Since their visit here things had changed between him and his parents; it was clear that they both realized the mistakes they had made in the past but neither party was really willing to talk about it just yet; they knew they would have to soon—but it was going to take a lot more time. I could tell Cole was disappointed though that they had left right after my graduation rather than staying for the season.

"They said they will return sometime in late October or early November, which means that they will be here in mid-December." He said bitterly. "They wanted to be here for the holiday season, but they often get a little too busy to concentrate on coming on time."

I nodded. "They did say that they would call more often though." I pointed out.

"Yes, they did _say_ that." Cole said then looked at me again. "Something's still bothering you." It was true; something was still bothering me, but I was too embarrassed to talk about it, even with Cole. The thing was, Jones told me Cole had caught on to his desperation for me and Cole to conceive a child so that he could make the Elders filled with Wilshires, however now that Jones was dead, Cole had nothing to be afraid of anymore…we could have children. _But maybe Jones had nothing to do with Cole not wanting children, maybe he really didn't want any with me; now or ever. _"What is it Selene?"

"Nothing." I said.

He shifted his body to look at me more clearly. "It doesn't seem like nothing."

I couldn't bring myself to say it. "I don't know, I guess I would just like for you and me to enjoy maybe a month of a normal marriage before we have to fight the world again." I joked.

He was about to speak again, but was interrupted by loud rumbles of thunder. "Summer storm." Cole noted absentmindedly. I hadn't even notice the clouds consume the sky in thick swells of dark grey. Right on cue rain pounded the earth in heavy droves. "We should get inside." He mused. Taking my hand he led me through the back door and into the house shutting out the storm behind him.

We were silent for a moment looking everywhere except at each other. It almost felt like the very beginning; when after our marriage I had begun to be a bit more confident with him while he pulled back, nervous that he would say or do something to drive me away. "We've come a long way." I told him, breaking the silence first.

"Yes we have." He agreed. "And yet we still have so much more to go." And then he sighed, his vibrant green eyes seeming broody and troubled.

"Is something bothering _you?_" I asked gently.

He nodded once and looked at me. "I was just thinking…you know we have this big house and tons of land with only the two of us to enjoy it; it just seems like such a waste to me." He smirked slightly.

"Oh." I said looking down at my hands folded in front of me. "Were you thinking that we move somewhere smaller?"

"No, that was not quite what I had in mind." He pulled me close to his body and kissed me hard on the mouth, his hands traveling up my back. He leaned back and gently placed his hands on my lower back. "I was thinking more along the lines of you and me filling it."

"Oh yeah?" I said, hiding a smile.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded. "And I think we should start quickly, that way it might give my parents incentive to stay longer, what with you and I working on giving them a few grandbabies to spoil. As a matter of fact…" He continued, kissing me again. "I think we should start now."

And so we did.

**~~~~~The End~~~~~**


End file.
